Loading, please wait...
LOT 0486
Egyptian Faience Triad Amulet
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
1 1/4 in. (8.56 grams, 33 mm).
Depicting in high relief the Osirian triad (Isis, Horus, Nephthys) standing side by side on an integral plinth against a dorsal pillar; Nephthys (right) and Isis (left) are shown frontally, wearing headdresses with their specific attributes, each holding the hands of the central Horus figure, shown naked and with the side-lock of youth; a ribbed loop at the top for suspension.
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a Swedish noble family, 1920s.
LiteratureCf. Camino, L., Papier-Lecostey, C., Collections égyptiennes du musée Antoine Vivenel de Compiègne, Compiègne, 2007, p. 172, nos. 190-191, for two comparable faience triads.
FootnotesIsis and Nephthys operate as complementary sister deities who guard both Osiris and the deceased through mourning, magical protection, and ritual lamentation, while Horus, the child of Isis, signifies renewal and legitimate kingship. On amulets, the triad translates into a compact visual statement of protection: the deceased is imagined as being held within the sisters’ magical and ritual care, while Horus embodies the successful outcome of that protection in the form of rebirth and continuity.
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0486
Egyptian Faience Triad Amulet
Estimate £400 - 600€460 - 700 (for guidance only)$540 - 810 (for guidance only)
-
Egyptian Alabaster Bowl
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £250 - 350 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £125
Of conical profile with flattened base, carinated shoulder and stepped rounded rim. 369 grams, 11 cm wide
From a West Country, UK, collection, 1980-2020s. -
Egyptian Clay Papyrus Document Sealing with Bust of Tiberius
Roman Period, early 1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Discoid in plan with impressed seal, profile bust of Tiberius (14-37 A.D.) placed to one side. 3.78 grams, 25 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Egyptian Bronze Statue of Isis with Inscribed Base
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,330
Seated figure of the goddess, wearing a vulture headdress from which the bird’s head projects, topped by a crown consisting of a low modius of rearing cobras, surmounted by cow horns and a central sun disk; a tight-fitting three-quarter-length dress; shown suckling the naked infant Horus, with a uraeus at his brow; the goddess’s feet rest on a plinth, of which two sides are inscribed with a dedication, only partially preserved: (May) Isis give life (to) Wennenefer [......] Ankh-hor-(en)-sa (Ꜣst rdı͗ Ꜥnḫ wn n nfr [……] ꜥnḫ ḥr (n) sꜢ (?)). 875 grams, 22.1 cm including stand
From the estate of Alexander Dobkin (1908-1975), New York, USA, acquired prior to 1975. Thence by descent to his daughter, Katherine Dobkin, New York, USA.
Isis, one of the principal goddesses of the Egyptian pantheon, was revered as divine mother, protector of kingship, and mistress of magic. As the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus, she embodied maternal care, resurrection, and cosmic order, playing a central role in myths of death and renewal. Isis lactans statuettes emphasise this intimate maternal relationship and its protective and regenerative power; such bronzes were widely dedicated in temples and domestic shrines as votive objects invoking divine protection, healing, and royal legitimacy. The lacuna in the inscription on this example most likely supplied the filiation between the two named individuals.