Egyptian Faience Mummy Bead Necklace with Papyrus Flower Amulets

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; restrung with some later beads. 123 grams, 30 cm



Ex Mariaud de Serres, Paris, France, 1980-1990s. From a London, UK, collection.

The Four Sons of Horus were deities responsible for protecting the internal organs of the deceased. The human-headed Imsety protected the liver, the baboon-headed Hapy protected the lungs, the jackal-headed Duamutef protected the stomach, and the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef protected the intestines.

Composed of polychrome beads of mainly tubular and annular types; modern clasp. 31 grams, 72 cm long



Acquired before 1979. From the private collection of Mr F. A., South Kensington, London, UK; thence by descent 2014.

For thousands of years, artisans in Egypt created vibrant ceramics to echo the beauty of rare jewels. These ornaments were created with almost every material, colour and texture imaginable and they come from across Egypt and beyond: vibrant blue lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, glossy black obsidian from Turkey, and aqua-green turquoise from the Sinai. They were worn in life and, after death, they served as precious ornamentation for mummies.

Foot panel from a cedarwood sarcophagus with carved socket to the inner face to accept the feet and mortices for attaching to sides; the outer face in low relief, a figural scene depicting the sisters of Osiris (Nephthys to the left and Isis to the right) with their arms extended; text translatable as 'Words spoken for Neftis, which surrounds ...Words spoken for Osiris, Padi-Wsir. I have come into existence as [...] Osiris, Padi-Wsir, the righteous [...]'. 652 grams total, 31 cm wide including stand



From a Dutch private collection, acquired in the 1970s. Acquired from J. Bagot Ancient Art, Barcelona, Spain, in 2016. From the Keane private collection, Kent, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the J. Bagot certificate of authenticity and invoice (2,800 euros). This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12078-216769.

'Padi Wsir' is probably the name of the owner of the sarcophagus; the same name was elsewhere transliterated as 'Padiusir' and Hellenised as 'Petosiris'', a familiar name in the Late Period.