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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.
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LOT 0486
Egyptian Faience Triad Amulet
Estimate £400 - 600€460 - 700 (for guidance only)$540 - 810 (for guidance only)
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Large Egyptian Carnelian Scarab
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,925
Naturalistically modelled, featuring detailed head and elytra, with suspension loop on the underside. 3.98 grams, 22 mm
Collection of a lady, circa 1940. Ex Mayfair gallery, London, UK. Ex an important Wiltshire, UK, collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13158-249420.
The scarab amulet was arguably the most ubiquitous symbol in ancient Egypt, representing rebirth, transformation, and protection. Modelled after the scarab beetle, which was associated with the sun god Khepri - believed to roll the sun across the sky - the amulet illustrated the cycle of life and regeneration. Scarabs were commonly placed with the deceased as funerary amulets to ensure safe passage into the afterlife. They also served as seals and personal charms, often inscribed with prayers, names, or protective formulas. Widely used from the early Middle Kingdom (c. 2050 BCE) onwards, scarab amulets reflect both spiritual beliefs and everyday practices in ancient Egyptian life. -
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Egyptian Faience Bes Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Rectangular plaque with a head of Bes modelled in low relief on one side and symbols on the reverse; pierced longitudinally. 3.54 grams, 20 mm
Ex early 20th century collection, London, UK.
From the New Kingdom onwards, 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. Double-sided Bes amulets appear during the Third Intermediate Period and continued into the Late Period, possibly perpetuated in part by Levantine demand (Cf. Pierrat-Bonnefois, G., ”Les questions d'identité culturelle que soulèvent certaines faïences de la première moitié du Ier millénaire”, dans Bonadies, L., Chirpanlieva, I., Guillon, É. (dir.), Les Phéniciens, les Puniques et les autres. Échanges et identités en Méditerranée ancienne, Orient & Méditerranée 31, Paris, 2019, pp. 58-60, fig. 5b). -
Egyptian Granite Seated Figure
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,667
Fragment of a statue of an official, comprising the torso and legs clad in an ankle-length robe and seated on a rectangular-section seat with stepped base and short, curved backrest and rear dorsal pillar; the left hand carved with the palm resting along the thigh; the right hand similarly placed but with the hand gripping a folded piece of cloth of which the ends are draped over the lower thigh above the knee; traces of an old label to reverse. 4.1 kg, 18.7 cm
Private collection, Europe. with Bonhams & Brooks, 8th November 2001, no.265. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams & Brooks catalogue pages. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12584-232097.
The official would have been shown wearing a longer cloak-like garment rather than a waist-height kilt, as the line of the folded edge is visible above where a waistband would typically be.
