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LOT 0491
Egyptian Faience Duck Scaraboid with Hieroglyphs
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
3/4 in. (2.82 grams, 19 mm).
Modelled as a resting duck with its neck curved around the upper body, feather detailing on the wings, tail, and body, and delicately formed head; the underside features a baboon in a posture of adoration before an obelisk, wearing a lunar disc and crescent headdress, with a neb sign below.
ProvenanceFrom the property of a London, UK, gentleman, 1970-2000s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, p. 53 fig. 54d, for a similar duck scaraboid; Matouk, F.S., Corpus du scarabée égyptien. Vol. 2: Analyse thématique, Beirut, 1976, p. 388, nos. 814-815, for similar-themed scarabs.
FootnotesBaboons were observed worshipping the rising sun with raised arms, a behaviour that Egyptians interpreted as divine reverence. The scarab's imagery symbolises cosmic harmony and sacred wisdom, with the baboon (a manifestation of Thoth in his lunar aspect) showing reverence to an obelisk (a symbol of the solar god, Ra). Thus, it blends moon and sun symbolism, embodying balance, cyclical renewal, divine order, and the interplay between knowledge (Thoth) and power (Ra). The neb sign indicates lordship or possession over all the celestial forces.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0491
Egyptian Faience Duck Scaraboid with Hieroglyphs
Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
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Egyptian Jasper Fly Amulet
New Kingdom, 1550-1070 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
With incised line detailing to the body, pierced longitudinally for suspension. 0.33 grams, 11 mm
Ex London and Home Counties collection, UK, 1920-1940. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Fly amulets are first attested during the Predynastic period (pre 3,100 BC). It is possible that they represented a wish to emulate the fly's renowned fecundity. These amulets were made in a variety of materials, including gold, and golden flies were used in the New Kingdom as an honorific award for military valour. No fewer than thirty-three fly amulets came from the tomb of the wives of Tuthmoses III. -
Egyptian Carnelian Fly Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Carved with simple body and eye detailing and polished; drilled through the eyes for suspension. 0.32 grams, 12 mm
Ex North London, UK, gallery, early 2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Egyptian artists often depicted fly whisks with pharaohs and officials, suggesting flies were just nuisances. In reality, Egyptians valued flies for their speed and persistence. Small fly amulets appeared around 3200 B.C. in Naqada II burials, gaining popularity and varying materials during the New Kingdom, including gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, amethyst, faience, and gemstones. These amulets were thought to protect against insect bites and troublesome creatures via apotropaic magic and possibly symbolised fecundity. Pharaohs awarded gold fly-shaped pendants to honour soldiers' bravery in battle. -
Egyptian Glazed Faience Shabti Collection
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Comprising five mummiform figures in different colours, each with a false beard and wearing a lappet wig. 54 grams total, 46-91 mm
Acquired on the UK art market before 2000. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Shabti figures were created to perform heavy manual tasks on behalf of a person in the afterlife. The body of a shabti typically resembled a mummy from the neck down and was often depicted holding tools such as baskets, mattocks, and hoes. Over time, the number of shabtis in a standard elite burial increased, so that from the Third Intermediate Period onward, it became common to have at least 401 figurines, comprising 365 workers, one for each day of the year, plus 36 overseers, one for every ten workers.
