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LOT 0473
Egyptian Faience Mahes Amulet
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
1 in. (1.43 grams, 27 mm).
Standing figure of the lion-headed god wearing the atef crown and a uraeus, arms slightly forward; with dorsal pillar and rectangular base; pierced for suspension.
ProvenanceEx early 20th century collection, London, UK.
LiteratureCf. Camino, L., Papier-Lecostey, C., Collections égyptiennes du musée Antoine Vivenel de Compiègne, Compiègne, 2007, p. 189, no. 223, for a similar example.
FootnotesMahes was an Egyptian lion-headed deity symbolising divine protection, royal power, and justice. Considered a son of Sekhmet or Bastet, he represented the aggressive solar force of Ra, serving as a fierce defender of cosmic order. Venerated in the Delta, especially at Leontopolis, Mahes was depicted as a lion or as a man with a lion's head, often adorned with the atef-crown and uraeus.
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Egyptian Faience Sekhmet Cat Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Modelled seated on a tongue-shaped base, with simple facial detailing and suspension loop to the back. 2.91 grams, 28 mm
Ex early 20th century collection.
The goddess Bastet was believed to be the daughter of the sun god and was shown with the features of a lion up until about 1000 B.C. when she was first portrayed as a cat or human with a cat head. As the daughter of Ra she was associated with the rage inherent in the sun god's eye which was considered to be his instrument of vengeance. Her development into a cat goddess occurred during the New Kingdom but did not fully develop until the Late Period. She was still associated with the destructive power of the sun and was shown on the prow of the solar boat, decapitating the evil serpent Apophis in the Book of the Dead. The maternal, protective and hunting characteristics of the cat are obvious in Bastet and she was seen as a protector of pregnant women and young children. In the Pyramid Texts she is invoked by the deceased king to act as his protector and to help him reach the sky to join the sun god; the king proclaims that Bastet is his mother and nurse. Like her counterpart, Sekhmet, Bastet has an aggressive side and, in a text from Karnak, Amenhotep II described his enemies being slaughtered like the victims of Bastet. The goddess had a shrine at Karnak, where she is known as the 'Lady of Asheru' which aligns her closely with the goddess Mut, the consort of Amun-Ra. Her most famous shrine was in the north-east Delta region, at Bubastis, and was known as Per-Bastet or 'the House of Bastet.' Herodotus describes the festival of Bastet as one of the most elaborate in all of Egypt and identifies her with the Greek Artemis. Cemeteries of cats have been excavated at Bubastis and at Saqqara and Memphis. -
Egyptian Gold Plaque with Winged Goddess
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,820
Foil figure of a kneeling goddess with outstretched wings; wearing a tripartite wig with a headband, a multi-strand collar, and a tight robe with diamond detailing; mounted in a display frame. 1.57 grams, 62 mm
UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, London, UK.
Several winged goddesses appear in Egyptian iconography. Without a headdress, the deity's identity here remains uncertain, but Isis, Nephthys, or Nut are likely candidates. All three are often shown in avian form as protectresses of the dead. -
Egyptian Cartonnage Panel with Pectoral
Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, circa 664-30 B.C.Estimate: £1,800 - 2,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £900
A rectangular cartonnage panel with bands of triangles, teardrops and other motifs in white, red, blue and pale green; winged scarab to the bottom, lower portion of a winged sun disc flanked by uraei to the top; mounted on a custom-made stand. 2.06 kg total, 31.4 cm wide including stand
Ex early 20th century collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13096-249409
This piece was probably part of a set of cartonnage trappings placed on the mummy.
