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LOT 0028
Egyptian Faience Ptah Amulet
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 4TH-3RD CENTURY B.C.
2 5/8 in. (29.6 grams total, 66 mm high including stand).
A blue-glazed faience amulet of the creator god Ptah in the form of the dwarf god Pataikos, modelled nude with stylised anatomical detailing, holding two knives to his stomach, squatting on an oval base; a scarab on the top of his cap; ribbed suspension loop to reverse; mounted on a custom-made display base.
ProvenanceEx private French collection.
with Thierry Maigret, Hotel Drouot, Paris, 12 July 2005, 76.
Cf. The V&A Museum, accession number 5480-1901, for a comparable figure of this date.
FootnotesThe Egyptian deity Pataikos is a special manifestation of the creator god Ptah, and the dwarf-like appearance symbolises his magical power. As a protective deity, amulets of Pataikos were worn for their apotropaic qualities; Pataikos was often depicted subjugating poisonous animals such as snakes and scorpions, and Pataikos amulets were probably worn to protect the wearer from such animals.
Ptah was the god of Egypt's capital city Memphis and master craftsman of the gods, known for his benevolent and approachable character. Ptah is attested from the beginning of ancient Egypt’s dynastic history and was a creator god, a god of craftsmen, and the patron deity of the Memphite region. The principal temple of the god was located in the city of Memphis. The fragmentary back pillar on this statuette indicates that it was most probably a temple offering, originally inscribed with an invocation to Ptah together with the donor’s name. Such votive figurines with back pillars naming the god and the dedicator occur in various materials, including faience and stone.
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LOT 0028
Egyptian Faience Ptah Amulet
Estimate £1,200 - 1,700€1,390 - 1,970 (for guidance only)$1,620 - 2,300 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Pyramid of Djedefre Foundation Deposit
Fifth Dynasty, 2465-2323 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
A group of eight small ceramic offering dishes from the pyramid area of Djedefre at Abu Sir. 149 grams total, 44-69 mm
From an old UK collection. From the private collection of Alf Baxendale (1941-2016) part 2, keen Egyptologist, member of the Egyptology Society, trustee of the Amarna Trust; thence by descent. Accompanied by an identification display card. Accompanied by a copy of his obituary published in Horizon, The Amarna Project and Amarna Trust newsletter, Issue 18, 2017, p.21, by Barry John Kemp, CBE, FBA, Professor Emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Cambridge and directing excavations at Amarna in Egypt. -
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Egyptian Carnelian Scarab
New Kingdom-Late Period, 1550-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,858
A finely carved carnelian scarab (Scarabaeus sacer) modelled naturalistically in the round with anatomical detailing to the carapace, head, legs and underside of the body; slightly domed profile; drilled laterally to the underside of the body for suspension. 3.07 grams, 19 mm
Fine condition.
From an early 20th century Home Counties collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.114474-196152.
The Egyptians saw the scarab as a symbol of renewal and rebirth. The beetle was associated with the sun god because scarabs roll large balls of dung in which to lay their eggs, a behavior that the Egyptians thought resembled the progression of the sun through the sky from east to west. Scarab amulets were used for their magical rejuvenating properties by both the living and the dead. The regenerative powers of scarabs such as the one offered here could be used by either the living or the dead for healing and protection. The striking red/orange colour of the carnelian stone used to produce this amulet strengthens its solar associations. -
Egyptian Animal Birthing Diorama
Middle Kingdom, 11th-12th Dynasty, 2023-1862 B.C.Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,500
A wooden animal birthing scene composed of three figures: a standing cow or other quadruped giving birth to its young, its head, neck and forelegs emerging from the mother's rear, both with a black and white speckled coat; a standing male figure with articulated arms and pierced hands, wearing a kilt and cropped wig and with stylised facial detailing; a kneeling figure also with articulated arms, open-palm hands, wearing a kilt and cropped wig, stylised facial features; extensive remains of polychrome pigment. 111 grams total, 9.5-16 cm
From an early 20th century Home Counties collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11597-199209.
Such models would have been deposited in tombs; the purpose of such a scene was probably to evoke the season of spring, when calves were born, and the floodplain where farmers lived and raised their livestock.
