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LOT 0446
Egyptian Faience Hieroglyphic Shabti
LATE PERIOD-PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 525-30 B.C.
3 1/2 in. (23.6 grams, 89 mm).
Slender in profile with tripartite wig and incised tools in the crossed hands, net to the left shoulder; dorsal pillar with impressed hieroglyphic legend. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx Alexander Crawford Collection.
From the collection of David Donlan (1947-2025), a dedicated and lifelong collector with a passion for the ancient world and the natural sciences, forming his collection from 1960s onwards, using many reputable dealers across the United Kingdom, including the well-regarded Coincraft and The Parthenon Gallery.
Cf. Schlögl, H., and Brodbeck, A., Ägyptische Totenfiguren aus öffentlichen und privaten sammlungen der Schweiz, Göttingen, 1990, p.117, no.55, for a similar example.
FootnotesAlexander Crawford Lamb (1843-1897) was a Scottish hotelier, art collector, antiquarian and collector of paintings, literary works, china, furniture, antiquities and other ephemera and memorabilia. His most notable literary achievement was the publication of a massive volume entitled Dundee: Its Quaint and Historic Buildings, 1895.
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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Large Egyptian Faience Heart Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Modelled in the round with a piriform body and two lateral projections with striations. 7.66 grams, 30 mm
Ex N. Thomas private collection, UK, 1980s-1990s. Accompanied by a previous dealer's sales ticket. -
Egyptian Funerary Linen Fragment with Hieratic Text from the Book of the Dead for Ta-sherit-n-ta-ihet
Graeco-Roman Period, circa 3rd century B.C.-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
Bearing a portion of Chapter 17, a spell written in late hieratic script executed in black ink on woven linen, consistent with funerary bandages of the Graeco-Roman period; the inscription identifies the owner as a woman named Ta-sherit-n-ta-ihet, with her mother named Iset-(m-)khebit; as is typical for funerary manuscripts of this period, the father’s name is not recorded. 5.08 grams, 22 cm wide
Found inside an 18th-century Bible and believed to be a souvenir acquired in the 19th century. From the private collection of a North American lady. An academically identified and unpublished fragment, offering potential for further scholarly study and publication. Accompanied by a report in progress dated 28 April 2026 by Holly Lund.
Spell 17 is among the most important and widely transmitted compositions in the Book of the Dead, concerned with cosmology, divine knowledge, and the transformation of the deceased in the afterlife. Even in fragmentary form, such texts provide valuable insight into funerary belief and scribal practice during the later phases of ancient Egyptian religion. This description was prepared using information provided by Dr Ann-Katrin Gill, Academic Assistant at the Egyptological Institute, University of Leipzig, and a separate assessment by Steve Vinson, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures at Indiana University, Bloomington. The linen fragment may derive from a nineteenth-century mummy unwrapping, a practise widely attested in this period. -
Egyptian Steatite Scarab with Cartouche of Thutmose III
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Anatomical detailing on the carapace and articulated legs, underside with hieroglyphic inscription including a cartouche. 2.08 grams, 16 mm
Ex Roseberys Auctions, 2025. Private collection, London, UK.