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LOT 0536
Egyptian Bronze Socketted Spearhead
NEW KINGDOM, 15TH-14TH CENTURY B.C.
11 in. (204 grams, 28 cm).
Foliate blade and tapering, short tubular shaft, marked mid-rib and rounded shoulders.
ProvenanceEx Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
LiteratureCf. Gorelik, M., Weapons of Ancient East, IV millennium BC-IV century BC, Saint Petersburg, 2003, pl.XXXIV, no.17, from Abydos, dated the 15th-14th century B.C.
FootnotesWith the introduction of the socketted spearhead in the Middle East in the second half of the 3rd millennium BC, by the middle of the 2nd millennium, socketted spearheads became dominant throughout the ancient East and Egypt, and spearhead design has remained virtually unchanged since then.
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Egyptian Mixed Scarab Collection
2nd-1st millennium B.C. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £780
Stone plaque with raised relief depictions of the Apis bull and a falcon deity beneath; a mixed group of scarabs and scaraboids, most bearing text or motifs on the underside, including: a rope border enclosing the head of a lion wearing a sun disc and uraeus; a plain gold scaraboid; a line border enclosing the throne name of Amenhotep III (neb-maat-Re); an indeterminate standing figure; a central hes- vase flanked by rearing cobras; a group of hieroglyphs, perhaps a slightly incorrect spelling of the throne name of Amenhotep II (akheperu-Re); and a group of four hieroglyphs. 36.9 grams total, 14-35 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
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Egyptian Sky Blue Faience Shabti
Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, circa 380-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Mummiform figure with a lappet wig and beard. 5.7 grams, 61 mm
Ex private collection, London, UK, 1970s-1990s. -
Egyptian Bronze Ibis Attachment
Late Period, 664-332 B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £156
Modelled in the round squatting on an ellipsoid base, lug to the underside, repaired. 114 grams, 60 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
The ibis, particularly the sacred species known as the Egyptian ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus), held a prominent place in ancient Egyptian religion and culture as a manifestation of the god Thoth. Revered as the deity of wisdom, writing, and knowledge, Thoth was often depicted in human form with the head of an ibis. During the Late Period onwards, the practice of mummifying ibises became widespread, leading to the creation of vast necropolises dedicated to these sacred birds. In places like Saqqara and Hermopolis, thousands of ibis mummies have been discovered in specially constructed catacombs. The mummification of these birds was not merely a ritual act; it was seen as a sacred offering to Thoth, meant to honour the god and seek his favour. Egyptians believed that by preserving the ibis through mummification, they could ensure its safe passage to the afterlife, establishing a direct connection between the earthly realm and the divine. These mummies were often accompanied by votive offerings, like this bronze figurine, further emphasising the relationship between the ibises and Thoth.
