Egyptian Faience Shabti Collection

Standing erect with dorsal pillar and rectangular base, arms straight and one leg advancing; lion-head wearing atef crown and a uraeus; mounted on a custom-made stand. 50.8 grams total, 84 mm including stand



Ex early 20th century London, UK, collection.

Mahes was an Egyptian lion-headed deity linked to divine protection, royal authority, and retributive justice. Considered a son of the goddess Bastet—or, in some traditions, Sekhmet—he embodied the fierce, solar power of the sun god Re and served as a fierce protector of cosmic order. Mahes was especially venerated in the Delta region, notably at Leontopolis, where his leonine form highlighted his role as a guardian and destroyer of enemies. Iconographically, he is commonly depicted as a lion or, as here, a man with a lion’s head, wearing an atef- crown.

Standing falcon-headed deity with eyes inlaid in gold, wearing the traditional shendyt kilt, a tripartite wig topped by the double crown (pa-sekhemty) fronted by a uraeus, as worn by Egyptian pharaohs, and a wesekh collar; the figure depicted striding forward, with the position of the left arm and drilled hand indicating that it originally held the shaft of a sceptre or a weapon; the right hand also drilled to hold an attribute; the rectangular base featuring a low-relief depiction of an oryx beneath the god’s feet, the four sides of the base bear a line of hieroglyphic invocation giving the name of the deity represented by the statuette and those of the dedicator and his family; two tenons on underside for attachment; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 1.1 kg total, 23 cm high including stand



with Sakae Art Gallery, Nagoya, Japan, 1981. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Alberto Pollastrini. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.13161-248074.

The hieroglyphic inscription surrounding the base is worn and difficult to interpret. Based on the formulas preserved on similar statuettes, a tentative interpretation of its meaning can be proposed. The text begins with the customary formula ḏd mdw, meaning “words to be spoken,” followed by the hieroglyph of a falcon, indicating that the deity addressed is Horus. The following signs are unclear, making it hard to identify which specific form of Horus is meant, possibly Horus of Hebenu or Horus the Elder. The formula continues with a plea for the god to grant the dedicator life, prosperity, health, longevity, and a good old age. The inscription ends with the name of the offerer: “Pa-iu, son of Pa-di-Aset; his mother Ta-heret; and his wife Aset, justified.”

Comprising two scarabs with striated wing cases and ribbed underside. 7.5 grams total, 18-20 mm



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

The scarab amulet was a powerful symbol of rebirth, transformation, and protection in ancient Egypt. Modelled after the beetle linked to the sun god Khepri, it represented the cycle of life and regeneration. Used from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2050 BCE) onwards, scarabs served as funerary amulets, personal charms, and seals—often inscribed with prayers or names—reflecting both spiritual beliefs and daily life.