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LOT 0484
Egyptian Carnelian Fly Amulet
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
1/2 in. (0.44 grams, 13 mm).
Carved with simple body and eye detailing and polished; drilled through the eyes for suspension. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom an early 20th century collection, Surrey, UK.
LiteratureCf. Christies, 14 April 2011, Lot 66, Baron Empain collection (1852-1929); see also Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, pp.62-3.
FootnotesConsidering Egyptian artists often depicted fly whisks in the hands of pharaohs and high officials, one might assume that flies were simply a nuisance. However, the Egyptians held flies in high regard due to their quick speed, reactions, and persistence. Small fly amulets were made from various materials, including gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, amethyst, faience, and bone. These amulets were believed to protect against insect bites and ward off flying creatures through apotropaic magic.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
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Large Egyptian Faience Beaded Mummy Mask with Sons of Horus
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £351
Restrung netted beadwork panel of annular and tubular glazed composition beads in blues, greens, black, cream and red-brown colours, depicting a mummy face mask with false beard, a scarab with extended wings below, the 'Four Sons of Horus’ beneath the scarab, joined together with areas of open netting of tubular beads; restrung with some later beads. 123 grams, 30 cm
Ex Mariaud de Serres, Paris, France, 1980-1990s. From a London, UK, collection.
The Four Sons of Horus were deities responsible for protecting the internal organs of the deceased. The human-headed Imsety protected the liver, the baboon-headed Hapy protected the lungs, the jackal-headed Duamutef protected the stomach, and the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef protected the intestines. -
Egyptian Wooden Doll with Circular Decorations
Coptic, 7th-11th centuries A.D. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £117
Flat anthropomorphic panel with incised ring-and-dot ornament to obverse, single central ring-and-dot to the reverse. 16 grams, 12.4 cm
Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995. with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1A 2JB, 1998-2003. Property of a London based academic, 2003-present.
In the late Roman Egypt or early Islamic period (7th–11th century A.D.) a new type of figurine appeared in the archaeological record: small, crudely crafted human figures made of bone. Some researchers considered them as toys meant to prepare girls for motherhood; others saw them as fertility figurines. They are mostly referred to as early Christian or “Coptic dolls”. In Egypt and Palestine they seem to appear suddenly in the 7th century, coinciding with the Arab conquests, but they might have existed earlier. With the new Muslim empire bridging former Roman and Sassanian lands, these dolls found their way to Egypt and Palestine where they were reproduced in huge numbers, becoming popular in all levels of society of the 8th and 9th century. By the end of the 11th century they disappeared as quickly as they appeared, probably because of restrictions placed on their production by Islamic laws. -
Egyptian Faience Bead Collection
New Kingdom-Late Period, circa 1550-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Mainly tubular, annular and oblate types in various colours. 61 grams total, 64 mm
Acquired from Ancient & Oriental, circa 1987. Ian Wilkinson collection, Nottinghamshire, UK, formed since 1985.
The faience of the New Kingdom period is frequently decorated with an expanded palette of red, black, and yellow. This polychrome decoration was often accomplished by inlaying one colour of paste onto another.
