Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0036
Egyptian Faience Bull-Headed Shabti from the Serapeum at Saqqara
NEW KINGDOM, RAMESSIDE PERIOD, 1295-1069 B.C.
5 7/8 in. (152 grams total, 15 cm including stand).
Pale faience figurine representing a bull-headed mummy adorned with a tripartite wig and human arms crossed over the chest with hands holding a pick and a hoe; only the lower legs and feet missing; the opening part of a central panel of hieroglyphic inscription reads: Wsir ͗ ḥp, 'the Osiris Apis'; mounted on a custom-made display stand.
Provenance
Probably found at the Serapeum at Saqqara in the 19th century.
From the private collection of the late Mr M.S.C., Norfolk, UK, formed 1950s-1960s.
Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan.
Literature
Cf. Mariette, A., Le Serapeum de Memphis, Paris, 1882, pl. 19, for others of the type.
Footnotes
While most shabtis served as substitutes or servants of the deceased and were placed in the tomb, some, like this example, were votive objects deposited in places of great sanctity. Virtually all known Apis shabtis come from excavations in the Serapeum catacombs led by Auguste Mariette from 1850 to 1853. They all belong to activity dating to the 19th and 20th Dynasties (circa 1295-1069 BC) and were unearthed in various chambers where they had been placed as votive offerings to honour the deified Apis bulls.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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.
LOT 0036
Egyptian Faience Bull-Headed Shabti from the Serapeum at Saqqara
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,250
RELATED LOTS
-
Large Egyptian Blue Glazed Hieroglyphic Shabti
26th Dynasty, 664-525 B.C.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £667
Of mummiform type, wearing a tripartite wig and long plaited divine beard, with arms crossed and the left hand holding a pick, the right hand holding a hoe and the cord of a seed bag hanging over his left shoulder, 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; six horizontal rows of hieroglyphic inscription, the Sixth Chapter of the Book of the Dead; water worn and repaired. 248 grams, 18.5 cm
Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995. with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003. Property of a London based academic, 2003-present. -
Egyptian Carnelian Eye of Horus Amulet
Circa 1000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
With exceptional eye detailing carved in low-relief to one face. 1.64 grams, 19 mm
Ex R. Liechti (1934-2010) Geneva, Switzerland, formed between 1950-1990s. Accompanied by a copy of an old collection inventory note.
The wedjat-eye amulet is a representation of the healed eye of the god Horus, featuring both human and falcon elements. The name wedjat in ancient Egyptian means ‘the one that is sound.’ According to Egyptian mythology, Horus' eye was wounded or taken by the god Seth and restored by Thoth. The wedjat-eye amulet was thought to protect its wearer and bestow the power of recovery and regeneration onto them. It was very popular and used by both the living and the dead. -
Egyptian Framed Coptic Fabric Collection
Circa 5th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Three fragments of tabby-weave linen fabric, two with embroidered ornament, one with a woven polychrome border; mounted in a glazed wooden frame with gilt inner border. 578 grams total, fragments: 6.5-15.5 cm (frame: 26 x 31 cm)
From the private collection of H. Norry, 1980s-1990s.
