Egyptian Composition Amulet and Bead Collection

Of mummiform type and decorated with a blue-green glaze; inscribed for a priest named Pa-di-Osiris, whose mother’s name is Sed-irt-binut; the shabti wearing a striated tripartite wig and long plaited divine beard; holding a pick in the left hand, the right hand holding a hoe and the cord of a seed bag hanging over his left shoulder; the face expertly modelled with carefully rendered cosmetic lines around the eyes, narrow eyebrows, and slightly smiling lips giving it a serene expression characteristic of the finest ushabtis of the period; standing on an integral plinth from which a plain back pillar terminating at the base of the wig extends; twelve horizontal rows of hieroglyphic inscription, the Sixth Chapter of the Book of the Dead; accompanied by a custom-made display base. 248 grams, 19.5 cm high (410 grams total, 23.5 cm high including stand)



Acquired on the Geneva art market, 1980. Swiss collection, early 1980s until 2000. UK private collection, 2000. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11802-206400.

The epithet 'true of voice' following the mother’s name, but not that of the owner, is a rather infrequent arrangement in shabti/ushabti inscriptions but can be found on other fine examples from this period. Pa-di-Osiris’s title is unusual, but may belong to the cult of the god Shu whose name is sometimes followed by the epithet, 'he who supports heaven'. The text contains Schneider’s version VIIA of The Book of the Dead Chapter 6.

Comprising a tendril pattern with enclosing a frieze of a lion chasing a bird, the spaces between the figures filled with squares. 46 grams, 26 x 17 cm



Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.

Tapestry technique of wool and linen in purple. It is highly probable that this tapestry was part of a tunic decoration, a double segmentum, applied on the wrists of the garment and decorating the lower part of the sleeves.

The upper frontal part of a child's garment, decorated on both sides with purple wool and linen stripes (clavi), running vertically on both sides of the tunic, and ornamented with running animals (hares), the edges of each clavus with crenellated border; selvedged on the upper part of the tunic and with a fringed lower border. 750 grams, 70 x 79 cm



Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.

Tunic decoration conformed to a specific layout with the back mirroring the front. Matching bands called clavi ran on either side of the neck. They could be full length, like in our specimen, or stop above the waistline.