Egyptian Green Glass Pharaonic Face Inlay

With detailed clypeus and head, raised ridge separating the wing case, resting on an oval base with plain underside. 10.1 grams, 27 mm



From the property of a London, UK, gentleman, 1970-2000s.

The scarab, which represented the dung beetle, was the most popular amulet in ancient Egypt for approximately two thousand years until the Ptolemaic Period when it gradually fell out of favour. The popularity of scarabs extended beyond the borders of Egypt, and they were also distributed and produced in other regions, such as Phoenicia and Israel. The beetle is named khepri, derived from the verb 'to come into existence', and was considered the embodiment of the creator god Khepri, who was self-created. The ancient Egyptians mistakenly believed that the young beetle emerging from the dung ball was the result of an act of self-creation.

Comprising a large segmentum in linen and wool, with a hare and nereid, wool purple on linen, S torsion, borders with dentellid decoration; two other segmenta in wool and linen, part of clavi, with floral and vegetal embroidery. 41 grams total including package, 19-33 cm



Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.

The theme of rabbits or hares, in association with other characters and animals of the Dionysian thiasos (here a nereid), has notable parallels. Such representations are linked to narratives of the Dionysian cycle.

Discoid palette with rounded underside and flat base, dished central field, flat rim with four radiating trapezoidal projections. 450 grams, 16.4 cm



Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S00038135.