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LOT 0476
Egyptian Female Fertility Figurine Plaque
LATE PERIOD-PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 664-31 B.C.
6 3/4 in. (502 grams total, 17.1 cm including stand).
Carved rectangular plaque with central recess, carved image of a nude female modelled in the half-round with a deeply striated bag wig, arms by her side; traces of red and black pigment on the body; mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceFrom a central London collection, formed 1980-2000.
From the private collection of Mr David Barker, London, UK; thence by descent.
The rectangular limestone plaque almost certainly represents a shrine. Such plaques first appeared in Lower Egypt and became widespread in the Late Period and Ptolemaic era. They may have developed from earlier female figurines depicted on beds and are usually associated with the female goddesses Isis and Hathor, both powerful protectors of women and childbirth and associated with fertility.
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 0476
Egyptian Female Fertility Figurine Plaque
Estimate £1,200 - 1,700€1,390 - 1,970 (for guidance only)$1,620 - 2,300 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Hardstone Pendant with Inscription
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Teardrop-shaped flat pendant pierced at the broad end, with incised text to both faces. 1.70 grams, 36 mm
From 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. -
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. -
Egyptian Alabaster Bowl with Incised Inner Circle
Old Kingdom, circa 2700-2513 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
Squat bowl with returned lip to the rim, incised ring to the centre. 749 grams, 21 cm wide
Acquired from Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie FRS FBA (1853-1942), who had both found and repaired the piece; a British Egyptologist and a pioneer of systematic methodology in archaeology and the preservation of artefacts. From the private collection of the late Mrs Belinda Ellison, long time member of the Egyptian Exploration Society, c.1940-2020.
