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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)
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Egyptian Faience Mummy Bead Panel with Four Sons of Horus
Ptolemaic Period, circa 332-30 B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Openwork beaded panel depicting a winged scarab with the Four Sons of Horus, Hapy, Imsety, Qebehsenuef, and Duamutef below; restrung. 22.9 grams, 11.3 cm wide
Ex Mariaud de Serres collection, Paris, France, 1980s-1990s. Accompanied by a previously illustrated catalogue card with provenance.
Winged scarabs were often used as funerary amulets and believed to symbolise the deceased's rebirth and regeneration. The Four Sons of Horus were deities responsible for protecting the deceased's internal organs. Here, on the left, is the baboon-headed Hapy, protector of the lungs, then the human-headed Imsety, protector of the liver, followed by the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef, who protected the intestines and, finally, the erect-eared jackal-headed Duamutef on the right, who protected the stomach. -
Egyptian Black Stone Scarab
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £60 - 80 (+bp*)
Bids: 2 | Current Bid: £10
Lightly incised detailing to the carapace, underside with a crouching ibex in profile; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 3.05 grams, 16 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
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Egyptian Alabaster and Glass Eye Pair
Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Bids: 3 | Current Bid: £720
The sclera white alabaster stone and the iris black glass. 15.33 grams, 31mm
From a North American gentleman's collection, 1990s.
Egyptian coffin eye inlays were both decorative and symbolic, intended to make the coffin appear lifelike and assist the deceased in the afterlife. Typically, they featured a white sclera (glass, travertine, alabaster or quartz), a dark iris (glass or often obsidian), and sometimes red paint at the inner corner. The eyes were often set in bronze or copper frames, occasionally with faience or bronze eyebrows.
