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LOT 0035
Egyptian Green Glazed Faience Figure of Somtous
LATE PERIOD, CIRCA 664-332 B.C.
2 5/8 in. (39.7 grams total, 68 mm including stand).
Modelled in the round, the nude seated figure of the child Somtous, with one hand to his lips and a prominent sidelock, emerging from a lotus flower; mounted on a custom-made stand.
Provenancewith Noriuchi Horiuchi, Tokyo, Japan.
Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above in 1993.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
See Gaber, H., Servajean, F., Du pays de Pount aux rives du Nil: parfums d’Égypte, Gand, 2024, pp. 196-197, for discussion and an example in bronze.
FootnotesThe earliest attestations of the cult of Somtous, known as Sematawy in ancient Egyptian, date back to the New Kingdom, although it became particularly popular during the Late Period. Associated with Horus (Horsomtous), the symbol of the child emerging from the lotus represented the (re)birth of the sun god. Thus, Somtous was regarded as a life-giving amuletic symbol, sometimes even referred to as 'Sematawy the child who gives life.'
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0035
Egyptian Green Glazed Faience Figure of Somtous
Estimate £1,000 - 1,400€1,160 - 1,620 (for guidance only)$1,350 - 1,890 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Faience Phallic Amuletic Pendant
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Formed as stylised phallus with large testes and part of the lower abdomen, suspension loop above. 1.54 grams, 18 mm
From the collection of a late London, UK, gentleman, 1970s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Small phallic amulets in ancient Egypt symbolised fertility, protection, and vitality. Often worn as jewellery or carried as personal charms, these amulets invoked the generative power of the male form, which was closely tied to life, creation, and strength. They were commonly used to ward off evil, ensure male potency, and protect children or the wearer from harm. These amulets reflect the Egyptian belief in the protective and regenerative power of sexuality, and their use spanned both everyday life and funerary contexts. -
Egyptian Carnelian Necklace with Djed Pillar
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
Composed mainly of oblate and spherical beads, four poppy seed pendants, and a larger djed pillar pendant; restrung with a modern clasp. 12.68 grams, 43.5 cm
From an Israeli collection, formerly with the Archaeological Centre in Jaffa. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The djed pillar symbolises endurance and stability. Used as a funerary amulet since the Old Kingdom, it was first linked to Ptah and Sokar, later becoming associated with Osiris as his backbone. Chapter 155 of the Book of the Dead references it in the context of resurrection. Beads in the form of poppies were used to heal and alleviate pain and to ward off death. These types of amulets were also linked to Osiris, the Egyptian deity of agriculture, death, and the afterlife. -
Egyptian Faience Bead Necklace String
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Composed of blue tubular beads interspersed with brown annular beads; restrung. 8.44 grams, 90 cm
Acquired on the UK art market, circa 1980. Property of an East London, UK, collector. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
