Egyptian Faience Figure of Bes

A large finely-made wooden amuletic djed pillar; old collector's accession number 'E.436' to underside; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 106 grams, 17 cm high



with ink inscribed 'E.436' to base. Acquired in 1970. Ex private European collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11602-199041.

The djed pillar symbolises stability and is usually understood to be the spine of the god Ptah although its origins are more probably in cult practices involving sheaves of reeds which were revered due to the general absence of trees from the Egyptian landscape. The djed later came to be symbolise Seker, the falcon god of Memphis and Ptah, the Memphite god of craftsmen, who carried a sceptre formed as a combination of the djed and the ankh. The cult of Ptah waned and gave way to that of Osiris so that by the New Kingdom (16th century B.C.), the djed had become associated with Osiris, part of whose cult included a ceremony for raising the djed representing Osiris's triumph over Seth.

A bronze votive figurine of Osiris, portraying the god standing, wearing a close-fitting mummiform garment and Atef crown, false beard, hands held at the centre of the chest holding the royal crook and flail; possibly from Saqqara. 37.1 grams, 80 mm high



From an old UK collection. From the private collection of Alf Baxendale (1941-2016) part 2, keen Egyptologist, member of the Egyptology Society, trustee of the Amarna Trust; thence by descent. Accompanied by an identification display card. Accompanied by a copy of his obituary published in Horizon, The Amarna Project and Amarna Trust newsletter, Issue 18, 2017, p.21, by Barry John Kemp, CBE, FBA, Professor Emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Cambridge and directing excavations at Amarna in Egypt.

Osiris was the foremost of the Egyptian funerary gods and ruler of the underworld.

A restrung group of tubular faience beads with a modern clasp. 8.3 grams, 48 cm long



From an early 20th century UK collection.