Egyptian Hardstone Heart Scarab in Gold Mount

Profile bust of an Egyptian male in nemes headcloth with uraeus to the brow, wesekh segmented collar; signed bottom right 'Howard Carter, 1905'; board to reverse with pencilled note 'Hatshepsu' and inked 'Watercolour painting signed H carter 1905 / remnants of an old Philips auction label on verso', with pencilled star motif. 898 grams total, 38.5 x 31 cm



with old Phillips label to the verso.

Hatshepsut was the longest-reigning female ruler in Egyptian history (1473-1458 B.C.), who undertook several military expeditions. Howard Carter's father, Samuel, was an illustrator for the Illustrated London News in the later 1800s. In 1891, Howard Carter accompanied Percy Newberry on an expedition focussing on First Intermediate Period tombs at the Middle Egyptian site of Beni Hasan, from which many of his original pieces survive. During his time at El-Amarna, the excavator Flinders-Petrie took Carter to visit the newly discovered royal tomb of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Carter made some sketches there which were published in The Daily Graphic on March 23, 1892, accompanying Petrie’s article on the tomb. These sketches were the first Egyptian drawings published by Howard Carter, and the first to convey the uniqueness of Amarna art to the European public.

Modelled in the round wearing the Atef crown with a uraeus to the brow, arms crossed on the chest holding the nekhakha (flail) and heka (crook); trapezoidal base with long tenon beneath. 136 grams, 14 cm



Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995. with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003. Property of a London based academic, 2003-present.

Osiris is a deity who represents death and fertility and is commonly regarded as the quintessential god of rebirth. Though he was once a mortal ruler, as a deceased entity, his domain was the Underworld. Abydos was the primary centre of Osiris’ cult, where a renowned yearly celebration of the god was held. Many small figurines like this were dedicated to the god at temples throughout Egypt.

Scarab with detailed carapace and legs, impressed hieroglyphs to the underside; set in a 19th century gold ring. 2.44 grams, 23.63 mm overall, 17.57 x 16.48 mm internal diameter (approximate size British M, USA 6, Europe 12.46, Japan 12)



From an early 20th century collection.