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LOT 0475
Egyptian Faience Shu Amulet
LATE PERIOD–PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 664-30 B.C.
3/4 in. (1.49 grams, 18 mm).
Schematically modelled a kneeling figure of the god with arms raised above his head, holding a stylised solar disc, pierced through the dorsal pillar; supplied with a stand. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of David Donlan (1947-2025), a dedicated and lifelong collector with a passion for the ancient world and the natural sciences, forming his collection from 1960s onwards, using many reputable dealers across the United Kingdom, including the well-regarded Coincraft and The Parthenon Gallery.
LiteratureCf. Tinius, I., Altägypten in Braunschweig. Die Sammlungen des Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museums und des Städtischen Museums, Wiesbaden, 2011, pp. 147-148, no. 270, for an amulet with a similarly flattened sun disc.
FootnotesShu amulets could serve both the dead and the living: they were placed between the mummy bandages on the lower part of the deceased’s torso, allowing the dead to pass smoothly on their journey towards rebirth; they could also serve as a magical amulet at birth, symbolising a protector of new life.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0475
Egyptian Faience Shu Amulet
Estimate £30 - 40€35 - 46 (for guidance only)$41 - 54 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£5 (EUR 6; USD 7) +BP*
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Egyptian Faience Mummy Bead Bracelet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £50 - 70 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Composed of alternating blue and cream annular beads, restrung with an elasticated string. 2.18 grams, 18 cm
Ex Ancient Art Shop, Windsor, UK, 1990s. Ex private collection. -
Coptic Marble Liturgical Vessel Fragment with Inscription
6th century A.D.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £667
Tongue-shaped with low rounded pad on the underside, raised edge with low-relief decoration of grape vines and leaves, the edge with pairs of opposing doves eating grapes; dedicatory Demotic inscription on the underside. 87 grams, 55 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12575-232108.
These vessels were used as liturgical objects for church offerings or ritual, and were extensively employed from late antiquity in ecclesiastical contexts. -
Egyptian Steatite Scarab
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £60 - 80 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Anatomical detailing on the carapace and the body is pierced longitudinally, with five hieroglyphic signs on the underside. 2 grams, 16 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
The three hieroglyphs on the left side, together with the bottom sign, spell out the throne name of Tutankhamun (Neb-kheperu-Ra), although the long sign to the right, resembling a reed leaf or Maat feather, indicates that it may be a good luck legend, perhaps interpreted as 'True Lord of Manifestations is Ra'.
