Egyptian Eye of Horus Amulet

Proof etching on laid paper of plate 61 from Vol.II of Description de l'Égypte : ou, Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française. entitled Thèbes. Hypogées. Manuscrit sur papyrus. 1ere partie. 207 grams,103 x 68 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). The papyrus manuscript was recovered from an underground tomb chamber (hypogeum). The text is written in hieratic, a cursive form of hieroglyphic script often used for religious papyrus documents. The scene in the upper register depicts the funerary procession with lamenting men and women on the right, following the deceased's funerary assemblage, including his mummy on a bark.

Possibly a fragment of a cloak, wool on linen, S-twist tapestry, decorated with a band of lanceolate leaves and two bigger opposed leaves in red, green and yellow colour. 345 grams total, mount: 86.5 cm



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

A. Gayet, who excavated the Necropolis of Antinoe, showed that the cloaks of Coptic-era nobles could be ornate, with decoration applied or woven into the fabric. Realised in dark blue, red, orange, yellow, green, brown and off-white linen and wool, the leaves are usually positioned inside a central medallion, also lanceolate, divided by a small leaf surmounted by a flower.

Group of amuletic beads and pendants including a wedjat-eye, Horus in falcon form, a seated Bastet, Bes playing a tambourine, and other types. 3.3 grams total, 8-19.5 mm



with Archaeologia, Switzerland, before 1983. Ex private North American collection. London private collection, 2016.