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LOT 0463
Egyptian Carnelian Necklace with Djed Pillar
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
17 1/4 in. (12.68 grams, 43.5 cm).
Composed mainly of oblate and spherical beads, four poppy seed pendants, and a larger djed pillar pendant; restrung with a modern clasp.
ProvenanceFrom an Israeli collection, formerly with the Archaeological Centre in Jaffa.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
See Lacovara, P., and Markowitz, Y.J., Jewels of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Treasures from the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester MA, 2020, pp. 144-145, for a carnelian bead necklace with similar poppy beads.
FootnotesThe djed pillar symbolises endurance and stability. Used as a funerary amulet since the Old Kingdom, it was first linked to Ptah and Sokar, later becoming associated with Osiris as his backbone. Chapter 155 of the Book of the Dead references it in the context of resurrection. Beads in the form of poppies were used to heal and alleviate pain and to ward off death. These types of amulets were also linked to Osiris, the Egyptian deity of agriculture, death, and the afterlife.
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AUCTIONS:
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Coptic Marble Liturgical Vessel Fragment with Inscription
6th century A.D.Estimate: £1,800 - 2,400 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £900
Tongue-shaped with low rounded pad on the underside, raised edge with low-relief decoration of grape vines and leaves, the edge with pairs of opposing doves eating grapes; dedicatory Demotic inscription on the underside. 87 grams, 55 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12575-232108. 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.
These vessels were used as liturgical objects for church offerings or ritual cult and were extensively employed from late antiquity in ecclesiastical contexts. -
Phoenician Inscribed Bronze Scaraboid Seal
Late 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Plain domed body pierced longitudinally, inscribed underside. 8.9 grams, 17 mm
Ex London, UK, gentleman, 1990. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Although it is difficult to make out for certain, the outer design appears to be composed of the 'a-n-r' hieroglyphs. The signs do not form a word and are thought to have been a decorative device used by Asiatic scarab makers, employing recognisably Egyptian hieroglyphs. -
Large Egyptian Faience Heart Scarab
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Green-glazed with anatomical detailing, pierced through the outer edge. 48 grams, 73 mm
From an early 20th century collection London and Home counties, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The heart scarab served to protect the individual by silencing the heart so it would not testify against its owner. Many heart scarabs, especially those intended for elite burials, were mounted with outstretched wings—symbols of divine protection and rebirth. These wings echoed the iconography of protective deities like Isis and Nephthys, enhancing the amulet’s power to safeguard the soul on its journey to eternal life. The pierced holes on the side of this example were likely for the attachment of such wings.
