Egyptian Faience Scarab

Plaque with transverse piercing; four addorsed wedjat motifs with black detailing. 31.6 grams, 64 mm



Ex J Bird private collection. Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.

Rectangular relief showing the pharaoh wearing the pschent crown of Upper and Lower Egypt and presenting the hieroglyphic sign of a field (sḫt) in his outstretched palms towards the now barely discernible figure of a standing deity holding a long sceptre; an empty cartouche above and a column of worn hieroglyphic text below; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 18.4 kg total, 45.5 cm including stand



Acquired 1970s-1996. Private collection, Switzerland. with a North American collector. London collection, 2016. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12943-244661.

Scenes showing the pharaoh offering various items, including fields, to one or more deities are found in temples across Egypt. The empty cartouche is a feature most often seen in inscriptions from Ptolemaic and Roman-period temples, reflecting uncertainty over the holder of power in the country.

Comprising three heart amulets, two phallic amulets, and a ribbed fruit amulet. 11.6 grams total, 16-25 mm



From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.