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LOT 0053
Egyptian Faience Mayhes Amulet
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
3 1/4 in. (50.8 grams total, 84 mm including stand).
Standing erect with dorsal pillar and rectangular base, arms straight and one leg advancing; lion-head wearing atef crown and a uraeus; mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceEx early 20th century London, UK, collection.
LiteratureCf. Daressy, G., Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire N° 38001-39384 Statues de divinités, Cairo, 1906, p. 151 (inv. no. 38579), pl. XXXII, for a similar example from Abydos.
FootnotesMahes was an Egyptian lion-headed deity linked to divine protection, royal authority, and retributive justice. Considered a son of the goddess Bastet—or, in some traditions, Sekhmet—he embodied the fierce, solar power of the sun god Re and served as a fierce protector of cosmic order. Mahes was especially venerated in the Delta region, notably at Leontopolis, where his leonine form highlighted his role as a guardian and destroyer of enemies. Iconographically, he is commonly depicted as a lion or, as here, a man with a lion’s head, wearing an atef- crown.
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Conical in profile with rounded rim, narrow disc base; repaired; a rare stone. 33.68 grams, 39 mm
Ex William Ohly, 1883-1955. Ex Abbey Museum, Barnet, by descent.
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Egyptian Faience Mummy Bead Mask with Scarab and Four Sons of Horus
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
A restrung netted beadwork panel of annular and tubular glazed composition beads in blues, greens, black, cream and red-brown colours, depicting a mummy face mask with false beard, a scarab with extended wings below, the 'Four Sons of Horus’ beneath the scarab, joined together with areas of open netting of tubular beads. 100 grams, 24 cm
Ex North London, UK, gallery. Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.
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Large Egyptian Lapis Lazuli Heart Scarab
New Kingdom, 1550-1070 B.C.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Naturalistically modelled head, thorax, and abdomen, with elytra outlined by incised lines; front, middle, and hind legs visible at the sides and merging into an oval base plinth. 31 grams, 39 mm
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.13102-249410.
The scarab amulet was one of ancient Egypt’s most widespread symbols, signifying rebirth, transformation, and protection. Modelled on the dung beetle associated with the sun god Khepri—believed to roll the sun across the sky—it symbolised the cycle of life and renewal. Widely used from the early Middle Kingdom onwards, scarabs served as funerary amulets, personal charms, and seals, often inscribed with prayers or names. They reflect both spiritual beliefs and daily life in ancient Egypt.
