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LOT 0436
Egyptian Faience Mummy Bead Face Mask with Sons of Horus
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 332-30 B.C.
12 5/8 in. (145 grams, 32 cm high).
Restrung; a 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.
ProvenanceAcquired 1990s.
Ex Mariaud des Serres, Paris, France.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
See Manley, B. and Dodson, A., Life Everlasting. National Museums Scotland Collection of Ancient Egyptian Coffins, Edinburgh, 2010, p.114, no. 43, for an example with similar elements.
FootnotesThe 'Four Sons of Horus' protected the internal organs of the deceased. Depicted from left to right: the falcon-headed Qebhesenuef protected the intestines; human-headed Imsety, the liver; baboon-headed Hapi, the lungs; jackal-headed Duamutef, the stomach.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0436
Egyptian Faience Mummy Bead Face Mask with Sons of Horus
Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
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Egyptian Steatite Portrait of a Ptolemaic Prince
2nd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,500
With a round face featuring large eyes, a narrow nose that broadens at the end, and full lips downturned at the corners, the forehead has a distinctive deep furrow above the brow; a narrow, twisted diadem encircling his wavy hair; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 84 grams total, 10 cm including stand
Private collection, Bern, 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.12631-236408. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The Greek hairstyle is a characteristic feature of Ptolemaic royal portraiture, as is the twisted diadem - a Greek interpretation of the Egyptian headband (the sšd) - which appears on several portrait heads of Ptolemaic boy-kings and princes. The distinctive furrow is intriguing, as it contrasts with the typically blemish-free physiognomy of most Ptolemaic royal sculpture. However, a similar furrow can be seen on the portrait head of a provincial governor from Dendera, dated to the 2nd century B.C. (Bothmer, B.V., Egyptian Sculpture of the Late Period 700 B.C. to A.D. 100, New York, 1960, pp. 144-143, pl. 112, nos. 301-302), which may indicate an artistic trend employed in high-status sculpture at that time. It has been suggested that small royal portrait heads, such as this example, may have served as votives. The lack of an Egyptian-style back pillar on this and similar pieces supports the possibility that they were inserted into statues made of different materials (Ashton, S.-A., Ptolemaic Royal Sculpture from Egypt, BAR International Series 923, Oxford, 2001, p.12). -
Egyptian Faience Amuletic Pendant
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Formed as a broad collar with a Horus head finial supported by two cobra heads. 0.92 grams, 14 mm
Ex early 20th century collection, London, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Phoenician Stone Scaraboid Seal
Circa 750-700 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
With incised hatched motif to underside. 2.96 grams, 18 mm
with Artemis Gallery, Munich, Germany, 1998. Private collection, Europe. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.