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LOT 0511
Egyptian Coptic Textile Fragment Group
CIRCA 6TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
5 1/8 - 9 3/4 in. (114 grams total including package, 13-24.6 cm).
Comprising: a large fragment of a segmentum in linen and wool, S torsion, fringed borders, embroidered with vegetal ornaments; a purple on linen tabula with geometric decoration; a fragment of a segmentum in wool and linen, with circular embroidery; and a large fragment of a tablion, ornamented with images of fishes, birds and vegetal patterns in red, green, yellow and dark blue wool, the central tondo missing. [4, No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 1970s-1996.
Property of a North American collector.
London collection, 2016.
Cf. Del Francia Barocas, L., Museo dell'Alto Medioevo, Roma, I materiali Copti, pp.148-149, for similar textiles.
FootnotesWater plant elements are scattered across the bottom of the tablion, which is decorated with water birds; these decorations likely surrounded the image of a nereid. These abstract decorations show a strong stylisation often giving the marine animals a plant-like appearance.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Faience Hieroglyphic Scarab
Late-Ptolemaic Period, circa 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £176
Detailed carapace and legs, underside with hieroglyphs including opposing wedjat and djed pillar; pierced longitudinally. 6.64 grams, 24 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Very Large Egyptian Expedition Lithograph of the Temple of Medynet-Abou at Thebes
Early 19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Proof etching on laid paper of plate 11 from Phillipeaux Thèbes - Medynet-Abou with Plan et Coupe Longitudinale du Temple et de ses Propylées 2.3 Plan et Coupe Longitudinale du Palais - Plan du pavillon. 240 grams, 105.5 x 70 cm
From the collection of a North American priest. Acquired between 1981-1996. Property of a North American collector.
Produced between February 1802 and 1830 on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte; published between 1809 and 1828. Just 1,000 copies were distributed to various institutions, printed on laid paper with an 'Égypte ancienne et moderne' watermark. The book is subtitled Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l’expédition de l’Armée française, publié par les ordres de Sa Majesté l’Empereur Napoléon le Grand (Gathering of observations and discoveries which were made in Egypt during the expedition of the French army, published on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon the Great). It was the world's first encyclopedia devoted exclusively to the remains of ancient Egypt. The plates of this book are the first to present the archaeological sites of Thebes (Luxor). Medinet Habu is the name given to the impressive mortuary temple built for Ramesses III. The walls are covered with scenes of religious and royal ceremonies, as well as battle scenes. An earlier temple and later tomb complexes are found within its impressive enclosure walls. -
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Egyptian Hardstone Scarab
26th-30th Dynasty, 664-343 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,120
Carved in the half-round with detailed mouth, legs and carapace. 70.2 grams, 49 mm
with Galerie Gunter Phuze, Kunst der Antike, Freiburg, 2000, no.352. Ex George Broomis. Private collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12936-245209.
Scarabs were among the most popular amulets of ancient Egypt. Modelled on the dung beetle, they symbolised rebirth, transformation, and the daily journey of the sun god across the sky. From the Middle Kingdom onwards, they were widely used as personal seals, jewellery, and offerings in tombs. The flat underside was often carved with names, prayers, or symbols, while the beetle form on top carried protective power. Scarabs were believed to safeguard the wearer in life and assist the dead in the afterlife, making them both practical objects and deeply spiritual charms.
