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LOT 0422
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]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
LiteratureCf. Ben-Tor, D., The Scarab: A Reflection of Ancient Egypt, Tel Aviv, 1993, pp. 76-77, for similar examples.
FootnotesThe 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.
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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Very Large Egyptian Expedition Lithograph of the Memnonium at Thebes and Tomb of Ozymandias
Early 19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Proof etching on laid paper of plate 28 from Vol .I of Description de l'Égypte : ou, Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française. entitled Thèbes. Memnonium. Coupe longitudinale du tombeau d'Osymandyas. 225 grams, 104.5 x 69 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 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 "Memnonium" is the Greek name for the mortuary temple of Ramesses II, now known as the Ramesseum. -
Egyptian Faience Amulet Collection
Ptolemaic-Roman Period, circa 332 B.C.-300 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
A mixed group of amulets, including scaraboids, a crocodile, three fists, a frog, a fly, and others. 12.46 grams total, 7.60-22.07 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Egyptian Bronze Harpocrates Statue
26th Dynasty, 664-525 B.C.Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,500
Modelled in the round, shown nude, seated with his left arm by his side and his right forefinger on his chin, wearing a sidelock of youth, nemes headdress surmounted by an elaborate hem-hem crown; mounted on a custom-made stand with dealer's label to underside. 480 grams total, 19.8 cm including stand
Ex Fitzthum collection, Vermont, New England. Acquired New York, USA, 2000. Acquired from Royal Athena Galleries, New York, USA, 20 March 2008. Ex Keane collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the original Royal Athena Galleries invoice no.11164. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13272-252852.
Harpocrates is the Greek equivalent of the Egyptian name Hor-pa-khered, which means ‘Horus the Child’. This name refers to Horus as the divine infant of Isis and Osiris. Wearing an amulet of Harpocrates was believed to provide the same protection that Isis granted to her beloved son. Larger bronze statuettes were probably votive offerings to Harpocrates, intended to secure his favour and protection.
