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LOT 0446
Egyptian Faience Wadj Amulet
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
1 1/2 in. (1.92 grams, 39 mm).
Square-section wadj papyrus stalk amulet surmounted by a ram's head wearing the Atef crown; the front inscribed with ankh (life) and renpet (year) hieroglyphs. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of Doctor Girard, a collector for over 60 years.
with Hotel des Ventes de Clermont-Ferrand, 22 May 2017.
Property of a French collector.
Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, item 25(d), for type.
FootnotesThe papyrus column or wadj amulet is typically made out of turquoise feldspar or faience, as is prescribed in the Book of the Dead. The word wadj, meaning “green”, evokes concepts of well-being and vitality. Papyrus amulets were often placed around the neck of the deceased to ensure eternal youth in the afterlife. The ram's head is associated with the god Amun and the Atef crown with Osiris, ruler of the Underworld.
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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Large Egyptian Gilt Bronze Head of Osiris
Late Period, 664-525 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £650
Modelled in the round wearing the atef crown (hedjet with lateral ostrich feathers) and uraeus to the brow with tail extending up the crown, detailed false beard with coiled finial; eyes recessed to accept inlays; tip of crown missing. 199 grams, 11.4 cm
Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995. with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003. Property of a London based academic, 2003-present.
Osiris is a deity who represents death and fertility and is commonly regarded as the quintessential god of rebirth. Though he was once a mortal ruler, as a deceased entity, his domain was the Underworld. Abydos was the primary centre of Osiris’ cult, where a renowned yearly celebration of the god was held. This head comes from a once sizeable statuette of the god. -
Egyptian Faience Block Bead of Thutmose III
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, circa 1504-1452 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
With impressed hieroglyphs on all four faces, two sides giving the throne name of Thutmose III (Men-kheper-Re), the others mentioning the god Amun. 1.1 grams, 12 mm
From the old collection of Emile Bouillon Bey, c. 1880. Ex Gaston Maspero archaeological fund. Property of a French collector.
Thutmose III was a renowned warrior king widely revered even centuries after his reign. -
Egyptian Faience Shabti and Amulet Group
Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Two mummiform shabti figurines, one faded pale green and the other bright turquoise; one amuletic figurine, possibly of a ram or baboon-headed deity with sun disk headdress, applied black pigment detailing. 20 grams total, 41-65 mm
From the H.N. collection, Milton Keynes, Berkshire, UK, 1990s.
Shabti figures were created to carry out heavy manual tasks on behalf of a person in the afterlife. From the Third Intermediate Period into the Late Period burials were often provided with several hundred shabtis.
