Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0416
Egyptian Jasper Lion-Headed Cobra Amulet in Gold Frame
NEW KINGDOM, CIRCA 1550-1070 B.C.
3/4 in. (2 grams, 18 mm).
The S-curved body resting on a tongue-shaped based, detailed hood, and delicate details to the head of a lioness; wrapped in a gold frame with suspension loop.
Provenance
Private collection of Mr K.A.
Private collection, Europe, 26 June 2009.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12590-232325.
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.
Literature
Cf. Reisner, G.A., Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire, Nos.12528-13595, Vol. II, Amulets, Cairo, 1958, p.115, (no. CG13434) and pl.XVII, for a similar example in opaque red glass.
Footnotes
This amulet likely represents a goddess, either Sekhmet or Wadjet. Sekhmet is typically depicted as a lioness or lion-headed woman, while Wadjet appears in the form of a cobra. The lion-headed cobra form can be an allusion to the uraeus, worn on the crowns of royalty and deities for protection.
CONDITIONVETTING:
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 0416
Egyptian Jasper Lion-Headed Cobra Amulet in Gold Frame
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,895
RELATED LOTS
-
Egyptian Travertine Kohl Jar and Lid
Middle Kingdom-early New Kingdom, 12th-early 18th Dynasty, circa 1985-1479 B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £833
Piriform vessel with flared foot and wide rim, discoid lid with raised central panel to verso. 355 grams, 65 mm
Ex Galerie Nefer, Zurich, Switzerland. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. 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. -
Phoenician Inscribed Bronze Scaraboid Seal
Late 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
With plain body and three lines of characters including a scarab to the underside. 3.5 grams, 13 mm
Ex London, UK, gentleman, 1990. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Hardstone Scarab
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £572
With detailed clypeus and head, raised ridge separating the wing case, resting on an oval base with plain underside. 10.1 grams, 27 mm
From the property of a London, UK, gentleman, 1970-2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The scarab, which represented the dung beetle, was the most popular amulet in ancient Egypt for approximately two thousand years until the Ptolemaic Period when it gradually fell out of favour. The popularity of scarabs extended beyond the borders of Egypt, and they were also distributed and produced in other regions, such as Phoenicia and Israel. The beetle is named khepri, derived from the verb 'to come into existence', and was considered the embodiment of the creator god Khepri, who was self-engendered. The ancient Egyptians mistakenly believed that the young beetle emerging from the dung ball was the result of an act of self-creation.