Egyptian Hardstone and Faience Necklace

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.

Leclerc - Thèbes - Hypogées - Manuscrit sur papyrus - Proof etching on laid paper of plate 69 from La Description de l’Égypte: Antiquités, Volume II: Commission des sciences et arts d’Égypte with later backing sheet. 350 grams, 132 x 65 cm



From the collection of a North American priest. Acquired between 1981-1996. Property of a North American collector.

Produced between February 1802 and 1830 on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte; published between 1809 and 1828. Just 1,000 copies were distributed to various institutions, printed on on laid paper with an 'Égypte ancienne et moderne' watermark. The book is subtitled Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l’expédition de l’Armée française, publié par les ordres de Sa Majesté l’Empereur Napoléon le Grand (Gathering of observations and discoveries which were made in Egypt during the expedition of the French army, published on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon the Great). It was the world's first encyclopedia devoted exclusively to the remains of ancient Egypt. The plates of this book are the first to present the archaeological sites of Thebes (Luxor). The papyrus manuscript was recovered from the underground chambers (hypogea). The papyrus is now in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.

With palmette motif and filigree hoop. 0.15 grams, 8 mm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

Flora-form amulets are thought to symbolise new life, like the growing plants they copied. Many gold palmette elements were found in the New Kingdom tomb of Aper-el at Saqqara, featuring pierced holes rather than a hoop for attachment (Cf. Zivie, A., Découverte à Saqqarah: Le vizir oublié, Paris, 1990, p.149 no.94 for examples).