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LOT 0457
Egyptian Carnelian Scarab
NEW KINGDOM-LATE PERIOD, 1550-332 B.C.
3/4 in. (3.07 grams, 19 mm).
A finely carved carnelian scarab (Scarabaeus sacer) modelled naturalistically in the round with anatomical detailing to the carapace, head, legs and underside of the body; slightly domed profile; drilled laterally to the underside of the body for suspension.
ProvenanceFrom an early 20th century Home Counties collection.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.114474-196152.
Cf. The Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum, accession number 3791, for a similar scarab dated to the Late Period.
FootnotesThe Egyptians saw the scarab as a symbol of renewal and rebirth. The beetle was associated with the sun god because scarabs roll large balls of dung in which to lay their eggs, a behavior that the Egyptians thought resembled the progression of the sun through the sky from east to west. Scarab amulets were used for their magical rejuvenating properties by both the living and the dead. The regenerative powers of scarabs such as the one offered here could be used by either the living or the dead for healing and protection. The striking red/orange colour of the carnelian stone used to produce this amulet strengthens its solar associations.
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
AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Carnelian Papyrus Amulet
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, 1296-1186 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £572
A carnelian amuletic papyrus stalk pendant, colour graduated along the stem. 2.4 grams, 29 mm
Private collection, acquired 1999. -
Egyptian Blue Faience Shabti
Early Ptolemaic Period, circa 3rd century B.C.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £500
A mummiform shabti with a thick and lustrous turquoise glaze, sporting a tripartite wig highlighted in darker blue glaze, and a long beard; holding a pick, hoe and a cord for a seed bag hanging over the left shoulder; raised dorsal pillar and an integral plinth; repaired. 44 grams, 11.5 cm high
Ex collection of Jacques René Fiechter, Switzerland (1920-1950). with Auction Martin, Egyptian Collection André Bircher, 1949. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan.
The lack of inscription hinders positive identification, but the shabti’s proportions, elegant modelling, and lustrous glaze closely match others considered to have come from an area of the extensive necropolis at Abydos, labelled “Cemetery G” by its excavator Flinders Petrie, where hundreds of blue lustrous-glazed shabtis of varying qualities were recovered. This figure is closest in style to those belonging to Petosiris, son of Djed-hor. Both were buried with similarly blue lustrous-glazed shabtis that were mostly plain although a few were inscribed with an inscription. -
Egyptian Offering Cup Fragment Group
New Kingdom, 1550-1070 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
A group of four blue glass fragments from offering cups. 35 grams total, 36-48 mm
From a UK private collection, 1975-1978.
