Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 0481

Egyptian Heart Scarab Group

LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.

3/4 in. (7.5 grams total, 18-20 mm).

Comprising two scarabs with striated wing cases and ribbed underside. [2]

Provenance

From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Literature

Cf. Ben-Tor, D., The Scarab: A Reflection of Ancient Egypt, Tel Aviv, 1993, pp. 76-77, for similar examples.

Footnotes

The scarab amulet was a powerful symbol of rebirth, transformation, and protection in ancient Egypt. Modelled after the beetle linked to the sun god Khepri, it represented the cycle of life and regeneration. Used from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2050 BCE) onwards, scarabs served as funerary amulets, personal charms, and seals—often inscribed with prayers or names—reflecting both spiritual beliefs and daily life.

CONDITION

VETTING:

TimeLine 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:

TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.

LOT 0481

Egyptian Heart Scarab Group

Estimate £150 - 200€170 - 230 (for guidance only)$200 - 270 (for guidance only)

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Egyptian Multi-Stranded Mummy Bead Necklace
    Egyptian Multi-Stranded Mummy Bead Necklace
    Late Period, 664-332 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £312

    Multi-stranded designer necklace composed of polychrome beads of mainly annular types. 26 grams, 72 cm



    Acquired before 1979. From the private collection of Mr F.A., South Kensington, London, UK; thence by descent 2014. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

    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.

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Wooden Shabti
    Egyptian Wooden Shabti
    New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, 1293-1185 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,080

    Carved in the round with detailed tripartite wig, hands crossed at the chest; some painted and gilded(?) plaster surface; mounted on a later base. 332 grams, 26.9 cm



    From the collection of Mrs Kilvert, who fled from France to England during the French Revolution. Received by gift to the Hodge family from Mrs Kilvert at Bath in 1864-1865; thence by descent to the grandchildren of Mr John Hodge, a private London tutor. From the collection of a New Zealand family; thence by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12846-239090. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

    A shabti, also known as ushabti or shawabti, is a small funerary figurine found in ancient Egyptian tombs, dating from around 2000 BCE to 30 BCE. Its main purpose was to serve as a servant for the deceased in the afterlife, carrying out manual tasks such as farming or irrigation. Shabtis were often inscribed with a magical formula from the Book of the Dead to ensure they would animate when summoned. The distinctive, lighter-coloured, and previously part-gilded upper body decoration, contrasting with the black used for the rest of the figure, may symbolise the moment of rebirth, when the face of the deceased was bathed in the sun's rays.

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Faience Mummy Bead Face Mask
    Egyptian Faience Mummy Bead Face Mask
    Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £234

    Restrung; a beadwork panel of annular and tubular glazed composition beads in blues, greens, black, cream and red-brown colours, depicting a mummy face mask with false beard. 40 grams, 14.5 cm



    Acquired 1990s. Ex Mariaud des Serres, Paris, France. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list