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LOT 0517
Egyptian Faience Amulet with Thoth as Ibis and Maat
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 332-30 B.C.
1 5/8 in. (22 grams total, 43 mm wide including stand).
On a wedge-shaped base and decorated in turquoise glaze; the ibis's beak resting on a diminutive figure of the goddess Maat; suspension loop on the neck of the bird; collector's inventory number E509' on the underside; accompanied by a custom-made display base.
ProvenanceEx Reine Margot, 1973.
Ex R. Liechti (1934-2010) Geneva, Switzerland, collection between 1950-1990s.
Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, p.25, fig.21f, for similar.
FootnotesIn the judgment of the dead (Book of the Dead saying 125), Thoth, who is often represented in ibis form, records the result of weighing the heart of the deceased. The god is therefore mostly depicted in connection with the goddess Maat, whose feather was used as a counterbalance to the purity of the heart; such amulets were thus aimed at protecting the deceased from failing in the decision of the court of the dead.
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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LOT 0517
Egyptian Faience Amulet with Thoth as Ibis and Maat
Estimate £1,200 - 1,700€1,390 - 1,970 (for guidance only)$1,620 - 2,300 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Stone Scarab
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £572
Black hardstone scarab with finely carved head, eyes, clypeus, prothorax, elytra, and legs; plain underside. 38 grams, 48 mm
Ex Irene Newman, Birdham, Chichester, West Sussex, England. with Stride & Son Auctioneers, Chichester, West Sussex, England, 23 April 2015, no.1599 [Part]. Acquired by the present owner at the above sale.
The scarab, representing the dung beetle, was a popular amulet in ancient Egypt for about two thousand years until the Ptolemaic Period. It extended beyond Egypt and was exported to and manufactured in regions like Phoenicia and Israel. The beetle is named khepri and was considered the embodiment of the creator god Khepri. The Egyptians believed that the beetle emerging from the dung ball was an act of self-creation. -
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Egyptian Granite Head of a Dignitary
New Kingdom, 1552-1069 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £28,600
Carved with soft facial features and carefully executed cosmetic lines around the eye, earring, and carefully detailed duplex wig with gently wavy curls; likely from the Ramesside Period; mounted on a custom-made stand. 4.23 kg total, 20 cm including stand
Private collection, France. with Christie’s, New York, 18 December 1996, no.60. Acquired by the present owner from the above. 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 number no.12202-222169.
The shape of the eyes, raised upper and lower cosmetic lines, brows, and mouth on the TimeLine head present a similar countenance to that of the cube statue of Hori, dated to the reign of Ramesses II, now in the Musée du Louvre (inv. no. Louvre E11275). An even closer parallel can be seen in another non-royal statue of Paaha in the British Museum (inv. no. EA 501). -
Egyptian Ovoid Alabaster Jar
Early Dynastic Period, circa 3100-2900 B.C.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £389
With rounded lip, and oval body slightly tapering to a flat base. 517 grams, 11.5 cm high
Mary Stout Shaw (1880-1962); thence by direct descent to the present owner. Accompanied by a copy of a 1976 family photo featuring some of the collection on display.
Mary Kilgour Stone was born in 1880 in Cincinnati, Ohio. On 25 November 1903, she married Percy Wyfold Stout from Gloucester (DSO, OBE, 1875-1937), who had moved to Cairo after an international rugby career. After fighting in the First World War, Percy became the Director of the Egyptian Delta Land Company and the Anglo-American Nile Tourist Company. He and Mary were friends with the famous Major Gayer-Anderson, who worked as a doctor on the company’s cruise boats between 1930 and 1939. Gayer-Anderson tells in his memoir how this allowed him to make frequent trips to Upper Egypt and fulfil his passion for collecting (and dealing in) ancient Egyptian art. In his company, Mary became an enthusiast about all things Egypt and formed an elegant collection of ancient Egyptian alabaster vessels, including the following lots. She was particularly fascinated with the ancient cat goddess Bastet. Therefore, when Gayer-Anderson decided to give his famous ancient bronze cat to the British Museum in 1939, he made sure the donation was in both his name and Mary Stout Shaw’s, as a tribute to their friendship.
