Loading, please wait...
LOT 0506
Egyptian Faience Beaded Mummy Mask
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 332-30 B.C.
6 1/4 in. (67 grams, 16 cm).
Restrung netted beadwork panel of annular and tubular glazed composition beads in blues, greens, black, cream and red-brown colours, depicting a mummy face mask with false beard.
ProvenanceEx Mariaud de Serres, Paris, France, 1990s.
From a London, UK, collection.
Cf. Bienkowski, P., Tooley, A., Gifts of The Nile: Ancient Egyptian Arts and Crafts in Liverpool Museum, Liverpool, 1995, p.68 and pl.103, for an example still attached to a mummy.
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Egyptian Stone Alabastron
Late Old Kingdom, circa 2300 B.C.Estimate: £250 - 350 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £135
The body with rounded shoulders, convex outer face and pointed base, everted rim; accompanied by a custom-made display base. 34.2 grams, 48 mm high (48.9 grams, 55 mm including stand)
Acquired in Europe before 1994. European collection. -
Egyptian Faience Figure of Nefertum
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Estimate: £700 - 900 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £350
Turquoise faience standing figure of Nefertum in a striding pose with arms at the sides, sporting a black coloured tripartite wig surmounted by the god's distinctive headdress consisting of a lotus flower with two plumes on top; a suspension loop at the back; repaired. 71 grams total, 13 cm including stand
Property from an American deceased estate, acquired between 1970 and 1989. with Bonham's, London, 28 October 2009, no.81 [Part].
Nefertum was closely associated with the creator god Ptah and the goddesses Sekhmet and Bastet. He represented the first sunlight and the sweet scent of the Egyptian blue lotus flower (nymphaea caerulea). According to beliefs, the sun rose from the bloom of a blue lotus, embodying notions of rebirth and rejuvenation. Additionally, as the lotus was seen as a symbol of fertility, it is possible that this amulet was also worn for that purpose. -
Egyptian Limestone Relief Fragment
Old Kingdom, 2686-2181 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Rectangular panel carved in sunk relief with vertical borders framing a portion of hieroglyphic inscription ...ḥry sštꜢ n..., '...keeper of secrets of...'. 6.79 kg total, 50.5 cm high including stand
Reputedly acquired by a private collector in 1936. Ex Ian Colverson Collection, UK (1940-2022). This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12196-222436.
The relief is most likely a fragment of a vertical inscription from a false door of an Old Kingdom tomb chapel. The complete inscription was probably an offering formula followed by a list of the tomb owner's titles. The 'keeper of secrets' is a priestly title indicating that one of his roles was as an embalmer.
