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Details

LOT 0436

Egyptian Hardstone Eye of Horus with Recumbent Lion

LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.

1 1/8 in. (6.79 grams, 29 mm).

Wedjat-eye amulet with reclining lioness to the top, pierced for suspension.

Provenance

From an early 20th century collection.
Ex London, UK, gallery.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Literature

Cf. Petrie, W.M.F., Amulets. Illustrated by the Egyptian Collection in University College, London, 1914, pl. XXIV, no. 141k, for a similar example.

Footnotes

The wedjat-eye and lioness are potent, often intertwined symbols in ancient Egyptian mythology. The wedjat, representing Horus’s healed eye, signifies protection and healing, while the lioness—linked to the goddesses Sekhmet, Bastet, and Wadjet—embodies power and fierce defence as the “Eye of Ra”. Together in amulets, as in Egyptian art, they convey healing, protection, and strength. Sometimes the name of a specific goddess was inscribed on the back of the amulet, though here the recumbent lioness serves as the divine symbol.

CONDITION

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AUCTIONS:

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LOT 0436

Egyptian Hardstone Eye of Horus with Recumbent Lion

Estimate £300 - 400€350 - 460 (for guidance only)$410 - 540 (for guidance only)

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