Egyptian Faience Amulet with Hieroglyphs

Comprising a pair of simple segmenta on a woven background, formed of a spiral line surrounding floral images, closed at both ends by a pair of petals. 121 grams, 38 x 30 cm



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

The textile shows a pair of segmenta, probably from a sleeve of a linen tunic. The wool here seems to be Z-spun, a spin direction not very common in Roman Egypt and suggesting that the spun yarn may have been traded from another province of the empire. Frequently, like in our case, the wool is purple in hue.

Comprising a clavus with a band of heart motifs, framed by a straight border of straight segments decorated with geometric motifs. 122 grams, 41 x 26 cm



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

Tapestry technique on natural purple wool and linen. It is highly probable that this tapestry was part of a tunic decoration, a clavus, running vertically on the breast and on the back of it.

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.