Egyptian Faience Mummy Bead Mask

Plano-convex in section with stepped profile to dome and underside. 16.52 grams, 32 mm



Found in Lebanon before 1980. From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Substantial cast figurine modelled in the round of Harpocrates sitting with hands on his thighs, double crown and sidelock. 389 grams, 16.2 cm



From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Harpocrates is the Greek rendering of the Egyptian Hor-pa-khered, which means ‘Horus the Child’. This name refers to Horus as the divine infant of Isis and Osiris. Wearing an amulet of Harpocrates was believed to give the wearer the same protection that Isis offered to her beloved son. Larger bronze statuettes probably served as votive offerings to Harpocrates to secure his favour and protection.

With hieroglyphic inscription, restrung pair of red stone beads, old handwritten label '1633'; accompanied by a copy of an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Cylinder Seal of Soft Black Stone, 15 x 13.5 mm. Between upper and lower rules five Egyptian hieroglyphs are engraved skillfully. The bird is 'akh', "soul", the following house, hand and wavey line, are probably a personal name Deneh or Dehen, and the remaining sign consisting of three trees or plants may be a title. This is an old Egyptian cylinder seal from the Second Dynasty, c. 2900 B.C., and the inscriptions are still in the process of being deciphered. The occurrence of "soul" suggests mortuary use, but the Egyptians made preparations for such things during life, so the owner may well have had this object during his life. It is in fine state of preservation.'; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. 6.5 grams, 14 mm



UK private collection, acquired 1980-1983. Accompanied by a copy of a scholarly note, typed and signed by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert in 1992. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Cylinder seals are typically engraved, cylindrical stone objects designed to be rolled over clay, leaving impressions of images and often text carved in reverse. In Egypt, they appeared early in the historical record, likely due to Mesopotamian influence, with the more familiar button and stamp seals becoming prevalent later, particularly during the First Intermediate Period.