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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.
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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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Romano-Egyptian Faience and Other Bead Necklace String
Roman Period, 30 B.C.-323 A.D.Estimate: £60 - 80 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Composed mainly of alternating melon and oblate beads, the central feature with a large melon bead and a large discoid pendant, restrung. 42 grams, 29 cm
Ex Ancient Art Shop, Windsor, UK, 1990s. Ex private West County, UK, collection. -
Egyptian Faience Amuletic Bes Plaque
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £750
Oval plaque with ribbed outer edge, central depiction of the typically grimacing face of Bes wearing a feathered headdress. 23.8 grams, 52 mm
From an early 20th century collection.
From the New Kingdom onward, Bes became one of ancient Egypt's most popular apotropaic deities. Despite his somewhat fearsome appearance, Bes served as the patron and protector of pregnant women and children and was also believed to shield them from snakes. -
Egyptian Mixed Scarab Collection
2nd-1st millennium B.C. and laterEstimate: £550 - 750 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £285
Stone plaque with raised relief depictions of the Apis bull and a falcon deity beneath; a mixed group of scarabs and scaraboids, most bearing text or motifs on the underside, including: a rope border enclosing the head of a lion wearing a sun disc and uraeus; a plain gold scaraboid; a line border enclosing the throne name of Amenhotep III (neb-maat-Re); an indeterminate standing figure; a central hes- vase flanked by rearing cobras; a group of hieroglyphs, perhaps a slightly incorrect spelling of the throne name of Amenhotep II (akheperu-Re); and a group of four hieroglyphs. 36.9 grams total, 14-35 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.