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LOT 0483
Egyptian Hardstone Scarab in Gold Bracelet
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C. AND LATER
8 7/8 in. (12.30 grams, 22.5 cm).
Scarab, plano-convex in section with incised carapace and leg detailing, stylised djed pillar to the underside; mounted in a 20th-century gold bracelet.
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of the late Mrs Belinda Ellison, long time member of the Egyptian Exploration Society, c.1940-2020.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Alabaster Alabastron with Vestigial Lug Handles
Late Period, circa 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £556
The elongated oval body on a flat base, with gently curving shoulder and two elegant duck-head shaped vestigial handles. 440 grams, 15.5 cm high
Mary Stout Shaw (1880-1962); thence by direct descent to the present owner. Accompanied by a copy of a 1976 family photo featuring some of the collection on display.
Mary Kilgour Stone was born in 1880 in Cincinnati, Ohio. On 25 November 1903, she married Percy Wyfold Stout from Gloucester (DSO, OBE, 1875-1937), who had moved to Cairo after an international rugby career. After fighting in the First World War, Percy became the Director of the Egyptian Delta Land Company and the Anglo-American Nile Tourist Company. He and Mary were friends with the famous Major Gayer-Anderson, who worked as a doctor on the company’s cruise boats between 1930 and 1939. Gayer-Anderson tells in his memoir how this allowed him to make frequent trips to Upper Egypt and fulfil his passion for collecting (and dealing in) ancient Egyptian art. In his company, Mary became an enthusiast about all things Egypt and formed an elegant collection of ancient Egyptian alabaster vessels, including the following lots. She was particularly fascinated with the ancient cat goddess Bastet. Therefore, when Gayer-Anderson decided to give his famous ancient bronze cat to the British Museum in 1939, he made sure the donation was in both his name and Mary Stout Shaw’s, as a tribute to their friendship. -
Egyptian Porphyry Disc-Mace
Neolithic Period, circa 2500-1500 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Circular in plan with worked cutting edge all round, socket with one chamfered face. 556 grams, 14 cm
Probably found Egypt, North Africa. Acquired on the British art market. From the collection of a South West London, UK, specialist Stone Age collector. -
Egyptian Faience Amulet with Thoth as Ibis and Maat
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £667
On a wedge-shaped base and decorated in turquoise glaze; the ibis's beak resting on a diminutive figure of the goddess Maat; suspension loop on the neck of the bird; collector's inventory number E509' on the underside; accompanied by a custom-made display base. 22 grams total, 43 mm wide including stand
Ex Reine Margot, 1973. Ex R. Liechti (1934-2010) Geneva, Switzerland, collection between 1950-1990s.
In the judgment of the dead (Book of the Dead saying 125), Thoth, who is often represented in ibis form, records the result of weighing the heart of the deceased. The god is therefore mostly depicted in connection with the goddess Maat, whose feather was used as a counterbalance to the purity of the heart; such amulets were thus aimed at protecting the deceased from failing in the decision of the court of the dead.
