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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 Hardstone Double Plume Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
Carved with integral loop to the reverse; old inked collector's reference 'ES716'. 2.58 grams, 27 mm
with Hotel des Ventes, Drouot, Paris, France. From the collection of Mr H. Naudy, Paris, France. Acquired at between 2004-2010. Property of a French collector.
This ancient amulet represents two ostrich feathers or shuty. Interestingly, these feathers were also present on the Atef crown of Osiris, the god of the afterlife and the dead. This suggests the amulet was believed to imbue the wearer with Osiris' divine power and protection. -
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 Gold Cobra Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Depicting a rearing cobra with incised detailing and a suspension loop behind the head. 0.15 grams, 12 mm
From the private collection of the late Mrs Belinda Ellison, a long time member of the Egyptian Exploration Society, c.1940-2020.
