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LOT 0441
Egyptian Faience Amulet of Nut
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
1 in. (2.63 grams, 24 mm).
Amulet of a sow representing the goddess Nut; suspension loop on top. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the Florence Rosetti collection, UK, circa 1950s.
Property of a Cambridgeshire, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Tinius, I., Altägypten in Braunschweig. Die Sammlungen des Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museums und des Städtischen Museums, Wiesbaden, 2011, p.157, no. 294, for similar.
FootnotesThis miniature sow pendant features a loop at the top and was worn as an amulet. The sow is often associated with the sky goddess Nut, who was believed to give birth to the stars every night, and then consume them at dawn. Despite the sow's reputation for devouring its offspring, Nut, in this form, was revered as a nurturing and safeguarding deity. A sow-shaped amulet was likely intended to offer protection to its wearer.
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 Marble Head of a Queen
Ptolemaic Period, 323-30 B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,250
Modelled in the half-round with a stephane and centre-parted hair, serene facial features including hooded eyes and pert lips; mounted on a custom-made wooden display stand. 313 grams total, 10 cm high (14.3 cm high including stand)
Ex Hanna Saba collection, Ambassador to Egypt-USA-France (1909-1992). Private European collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12083-218194. -
Bronze Bust with Phallus
Roman, 1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £364
Modelled as a grotesque male head, depicted clean-shaven and hairless apart from a small tuft of hair to the rear with a raised phallus above; the neck developing to a broad circular socket with flange rim; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 377 grams total, 14.5 cm including stand
From an old Nevers collection, acquired before 1960. Ex Hotel des Ventes de Nevers. Property of a French collector. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12035-214900.
The exact meaning of these grotesque busts surmounted by a phallus is disputed, although Rolland (p.106) believes that they originated in Alexandria among the priests of the cult of Isis. Similar busts have been discovered in the Roman Gallia, at Bavay and Strasbourg. -
Egyptian Faience Wadj Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Square-section wadj papyrus stalk amulet surmounted by a ram's head wearing the Atef crown; the front inscribed with ankh (life) and renpet (year) hieroglyphs. 1.92 grams, 39 mm
From the collection of Doctor Girard, a collector for over 60 years. with Hotel des Ventes de Clermont-Ferrand, 22 May 2017. Property of a French collector.
The papyrus column or wadj amulet is typically made out of turquoise feldspar or faience, as is prescribed in the Book of the Dead. The word wadj, meaning “green”, evokes concepts of well-being and vitality. Papyrus amulets were often placed around the neck of the deceased to ensure eternal youth in the afterlife. The ram's head is associated with the god Amun and the Atef crown with Osiris, ruler of the Underworld.
