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LOT 0450
Egyptian Glass Taweret Amulet
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
2 in. (11.9 grams, 52 mm).
The goddess Taweret in the form of a hippopotamus standing upright with human arms resting on the swollen stomach, crocodile tail flowing down her spine from beneath her wig; mounted on a custom-made display stand.
ProvenanceEx P.A. collection, London, UK, 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Bibliothèque Municipale (Autun), Les collections egyptiennes dans les musées de Saône-et-Loire, Autun, 1988, pp. 160-161, nos. 122, 125-126, for similar faience examples with a top-mounted suspension loop.
FootnotesTawaret is an ancient Egyptian goddess primarily associated with fertility, childbirth, motherhood, and the protection of women during pregnancy and childbirth. She is depicted as a composite creature, blending various animal traits, and is one of the more unique and striking deities in the Egyptian pantheon. Tawaret’s name is derived from the Egyptian word for "great" or "large" (tꜣwꜣrt), reflecting her formidable and protective nature.
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LOT 0450
Egyptian Glass Taweret Amulet
Estimate £500 - 700€580 - 810 (for guidance only)$680 - 950 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Ebony Thoth Figure
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
Carved in the round figure of a baboon with horned sun-disc headgear, crouching on a balustered tubular shaft. 6.87 grams,74 mm
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. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The baboon represented an animal manifestation of the god Thoth. This deity was revered for his associations with knowledge, writing, and healing. The popularity of Thoth was also likely tied to his role as the recorder of the final judgment, which determined whether the deceased had led a virtuous life. -
Egyptian Green Glazed Faience Openwork Ring
Third Intermediate Period, circa 1069-735 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
With the reserved figure of a seated falcon-headed deity holding the Maat feather, a stylised lotus bloom above and below. 3.53 grams, 24.05 mm overall, 19.40 mm internal diameter (approximate size British S, USA 9, Europe 20, Japan 19)
with Christie's, London, 19 October 1994, no.133 (part). Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above sale. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Bronze Head of a Cat
Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £450
The head of goddess Bastet modelled in the round with alert ears and eyes, ears pierced; hollow-formed. 40.4 grams, 33.6 mm high
Acquired in the mid 1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The feline's pierced ears likely once held earrings or other ornaments. It was probably attached to a statuette of a cat, whose body may have been crafted from wood. The cat was sacred to Bastet, a protective mother goddess and the daughter of the sun god Re. Amulets provided the wearer with the goddess's protection. Her name means ‘she of the bast [ointment jar],’ which may have contained a substance favoured by or exclusive to royalty. Originally, Bastet was depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, but by the late New Kingdom, she was typically shown with a cat's head. She is sometimes portrayed with kittens, emphasising her maternal role as a fierce protector of her offspring.