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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.
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:
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Egyptian Silver Poppy Amulet Group
Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Three pendants each with poppy-head and loop at the apex. 3.67 grams total, 17-19 mm
From an early 20th century collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Amulets in the form of poppies were used to heal and alleviate pain and to ward off death. These types of amulets were also linked to Osiris, the Egyptian deity of agriculture, death, and the afterlife. -
Egyptian Faience Duck Scaraboid with Hieroglyphs
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
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. 2.82 grams, 19 mm
From 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.
Baboons 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. -
Egyptian Faience Scarab with Hieroglyphs
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £211
Blue-glazed faience scarab beetle with detailed features; the underside is decorated with a recumbent jackal above a seated figure in an attitude of praise before two hieroglyphs, along with a slim neb sign below. 4.18 grams, 23 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
