Egyptian Gold Uraeus Appliqué

Group of discoid inlay plaques or gaming counters, crinoids with cinquefoil motif. 35 grams total, 14-18 mm



From a central London ADA dealership, 1980-1990.

Flowers were symbolic of rebirth due to the daily reopening of their petals after nightfall. As a result, they were widely used in domestic settings, religious and funerary contexts, and as adornments. Similar rosette discs, like those recovered from the Ramesside Period palace at Qantir, were used as decorative elements in royal palaces.

Modelled resting on a rectangular base, with fur-texture detailing and hieroglyph to the underside. 2.01 grams, 17.59 mm



From an old Suffolk, UK, collection. Acquired in the UK before 1980. From the personal collection of Derek Rogers, Suffolk, UK.

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 New Kingdom, she was typically depicted with a cat's head. She is sometimes shown with kittens, emphasising her maternal role as a fierce protector of offspring.

Multi-stranded designer necklace composed of beads of mainly annular and tubular types. 21 grams, 74 cm



Acquired before 1979. From the private collection of Mr F. A., South Kensington, London, UK; thence by descent 2014.

For thousands of years, artisans in Egypt created vibrant ceramics to echo the beauty of rare jewels. These ornaments were created with almost every material, colour, and texture imaginable and they come from across Egypt and beyond: vibrant blue lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, glossy black obsidian from Turkey, and aqua-green turquoise from the Sinai. They were worn in life and, after death, they served as precious ornamentation for mummies.