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LOT 0018
Egyptian Glazed Steatite Amulet of Bastet
LATE PERIOD, CIRCA 664-332 B.C.
1 1/2 in. (3.75 grams, 38 mm).
Modelled in advancing pose wearing a tight-fitting robe, cat-headed, with a sistrum in one hand and a Bes head emblem in the other; suspension loop between shoulders.
ProvenanceFrançois de Ricqlès, Paris, Archéologie, 30 September-1 October 1996, no.332.
Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above sale.
Accompanied by a copy of a French cultural passport, dated 2 October 1996.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Bastet is typically depicted with the head of a lioness or domestic cat. The cat symbolises protection, motherhood, and, later, gentleness and domesticity, qualities associated with Bastet, especially in her later evolution from a fierce lioness to a more benevolent feline goddess. The sistrum she holds is a ritual musical instrument associated with Hathor and other birth goddesses and is linked to joy, music, and divine protection. Bastet was often invoked during music and dance ceremonies, and the sistrum reinforces her role in celebration and protection. Bes was a dwarf god known for guarding households, particularly mothers and children. His image on Bastet’s amulet emphasises her protective role, especially at home and during childbirth.
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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Egyptian Predynastic Globular Flask
Naqada II, 3500-3150 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,040
A globular-shaped body with a disc base, short neck, and everted rim at the mouth; featuring a burnished red wash surface. 925 grams, 21 cm
Private collection. with Bonhams, London, 22 September 1998, no.130. European private collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
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Egyptian Silver Bezel for the 'Treasurer of the god, chief keeper (of) the House of Gold'
25th Dynasty, 754-656 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,080
Rectangular with sloping faces on the underside, the upper face with two lines of hieroglyphic inscription reading: ‘Treasurer of the god, chief keeper (of) the House of Gold, great (of) Ra, Pa-di-Ra son of Pa-khered-tawy (or Pa-shery-tawy)’. 2.56 grams, 12 mm
with Bonhams, London, 27 April 2006. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The ‘Treasurer of the god’ is a long-attested title known since the Old Kingdom (Jones, D., An Index of Ancient Egyptian Titles, Epithets and Phrases of the Old Kingdom, vol. II, Oxford, 2000, p. 767, no. 2791). The ‘Chief keeper’ title is known from the New Kingdom (for a similar writing of the title, see Al-Ayedi, A.R., Index of Egyptian Administrative, Religious and Military Titles of the New Kingdom, Ismailia, 2006, p. 395, no. 1236). The last part of the title is somewhat curious; the determinative at the end, previously interpreted as ‘Ra’, does not match the determinative for this god in the second line. An alternative tentative interpretation could be ‘Chief keeper, of the gold of the Pharaoh’, treating the pr and ꜤꜢ signs, which are shown side-by-side, as writing ‘Pharaoh’, with the seated figure wearing the Dual Crown symbolising the ruler. -
Egyptian Green-Blue Glass Inlay of the Horus Falcon
Ptolemaic Period, circa 332-30 B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Modelled in silhouette with painted detailing; mounted on a custom-made stand. 24.15 grams total, 73 mm including stand
with Eternal Egypt, London, UK. Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above on the 21 May 1992. Accompanied by a copy of the Eternal Egypt invoice. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
