Egyptian Faience Fish Plaque Amulet

Showing the jackal deity Wepwawet standing with ears pricked on a sledge, the slender body modelled with long legs and a tail, suspension loop on the back; two rearing cobras before the jackal; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 54 grams, 91 mm (162 grams total, 11.7 cm including stand )



Ex Dr R. and Mrs L.B., Zumikon, Switzerland. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12627-236406.

Wepwawet, meaning "Opener of the Ways," was an ancient Egyptian god associated primarily with warfare, protection, and funerary practices. Depicted as a jackal or a man with a jackal's head—often mistaken for Anubis—Wepwawet was believed to guide souls through the afterlife and open paths both in battle and in the spiritual realm. He originated in Asyut (ancient Lycopolis) in Upper Egypt and was one of the oldest deities in the Egyptian pantheon, with worship dating back to at least the First Dynasty (c. 3100–2900 BCE). Over time, Wepwawet became closely linked to Anubis, and the two were sometimes conflated, though Wepwawet retained his distinct identity as a god who preceded and cleared the way. In military contexts, Wepwawet was invoked to "open the way" for pharaohs and armies, ensuring victory and safe passage. In funerary texts, he was described as clearing the path to the afterlife, acting as a scout or guide for the deceased.

Rounded body with large filler hole and pointed lug on the shoulder, the rim with a low-relief ovolo decoration, elongated nozzle with scooped nozzle; low basal ring. 63 grams, 88 mm



From a private Wiltshire, UK, collector, acquired before 1980.

Modelled in the round as a characteristically mummiform standing figure with arms crossed and holding the crook and flail regalia, wearing the hedjet crown and uraeus. 136 grams, 13.5 cm



From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.

Osiris is a deity associated with death and fertility, widely acknowledged as the supreme god of rebirth. Although he was once a mortal ruler, as a deity, his domain was the Underworld. Abydos served as the primary cult site of Osiris’s worship, where a renowned annual celebration in his honour took place.