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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.
ProvenanceProbably 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.
Cf. Mariette, A., Le Serapeum de Memphis, Paris, 1882, pl. 19, for others of the type.
FootnotesWhile 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.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0036
Egyptian Faience Bull-Headed Shabti from the Serapeum at Saqqara
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,250
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Egyptian Silver Hathor Head Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
A finely detailed head of the goddess Hathor with a human face, divine beard, and cow ears, with a ribbed suspension loop on top. 0.68 grams, 11 mm
From an early 20th century collection. -
Egyptian Stone Tyet Amulet
Third Intermediate Period-Late Period, circa 743-332 B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £750
Finely carved tyet amulet with incised internal detailing and ribbed suspension loop at the top. 38.9 grams, 81 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
The tyet amulet was associated with the goddess Isis and was often referred to as the 'knot' or 'girdle' of Isis. Some believe that it represents a bandage used to absorb menstrual blood. It was commonly placed within the mummy wrappings on the upper torso of the deceased, with the belief that it would invoke Isis' protection and safeguard the body, thus ensuring their rebirth in the afterlife. -
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Egyptian Quartzite Fragment with Hieroglyphs
New Kingdom, 1550-1069 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £585
Dressed stela or shrine fragment inscribed with three vertical columns of enigmatic hieroglyphs; mounted on a plaque. 320 grams total, 13 cm wide including stand
From an American deceased estate, acquired between 1970-1989. with Bonhams, London, 28 October 2009, no.23. Private collection, Europe.
The second-to-last complete sign in the central register is a semi-hieratic version of the balancing post hieroglyph, suggesting an 18th Dynasty or later New Kingdom date.
