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LOT 0456
Egyptian Carnelian Cat Amulet
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 332-30 B.C. OR LATER
1/2 in. (1.82 grams, 16 mm).
Amuletic pendant of the cat goddess Bastet, sitting on a rectangular base, suspension loop behind the shoulders. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 1990s.
Property of a Staffordshire lady collector.
Ex Quercus of Quonians, Lichfield, UK, 2018.
Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher.
Private collection, London.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, pp. 32-33, for discussion, and figs. 28f, 29d for examples of small cat amulets in stone and faience.
FootnotesThe cat was sacred to Bastet, a protective mother goddess and the daughter of the sun god Re. Amulets provided the wearer with the goddess's protection.
Her name means ‘she of the bast [ointment jar],’ which may have contained a substance favoured by or exclusive to royalty. Originally, Bastet was depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, but by the late New Kingdom, she was typically depicted with a cat's head. She is sometimes shown with kittens, emphasising her maternal role as a fierce protector of offspring.
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Egyptian Steatite Scarab Collection
New Kingdom-Late Period, 1550-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Designs include: a line border encloses the standing figure of a falcon-headed deity wearing a sun disc and uraeus, standing before the hieroglyphs user, Maat, Re, setep, n, Re); a line border enclosing n, cobra, nefer, and neb signs; a line border enclosing numerous hieroglyphs, including those spelling the throne name of Thutmose III (men-kheper-Re); a falcon; and two plain scarabs. 13.18 grams total, 10-21 mm
From a London collection, 2000s, some previously ex Mustaki collection pre 1950. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The design of the first scarab incorporates Ramesses II’s throne name ‘the justice of Re is powerful, chosen of Re (user-Maat-Re setep-n-Re) -
Egyptian Steatite Scarab Group
Mainly Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
The designs include: a line border enclosing a central nefer sign, flanked by two rearing cobras with sun discs above, and a neb sign below; a turquoise scarab with deeply incised body detailing; a line border enclosing a striding figure before a cobra(?) and a nefer sign, with a neb sign below; a standing figure with a long staff and a sun disc above, facing an indeterminate object; indeterminate symbols with a sun disc above; and a quadruped with a long tail and erect ears or horns (possibly a jackal or an ibex). 11.7 grams total, 10-20 mm
Acquired on the European art market in the early 2000s. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Wooden Shabti
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, 1293-1185 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,080
Carved in the round with detailed tripartite wig, hands crossed at the chest; some painted and gilded(?) plaster surface; mounted on a later base. 332 grams, 26.9 cm
From the collection of Mrs Kilvert, who fled from France to England during the French Revolution. Received by gift to the Hodge family from Mrs Kilvert at Bath in 1864-1865; thence by descent to the grandchildren of Mr John Hodge, a private London tutor. From the collection of a New Zealand family; thence by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12846-239090. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
A shabti, also known as ushabti or shawabti, is a small funerary figurine found in ancient Egyptian tombs, dating from around 2000 BCE to 30 BCE. Its main purpose was to serve as a servant for the deceased in the afterlife, carrying out manual tasks such as farming or irrigation. Shabtis were often inscribed with a magical formula from the Book of the Dead to ensure they would animate when summoned. The distinctive, lighter-coloured, and previously part-gilded upper body decoration, contrasting with the black used for the rest of the figure, may symbolise the moment of rebirth, when the face of the deceased was bathed in the sun's rays.
