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LOT 0004
Egyptian Knapped Stone Fish-Tailed Knife
PREDYNASTIC PERIOD, CIRCA 3,500-3,000 B.C.
4 1/2 in. (38.6 grams, 11.5 cm).
With long edges knapped, a rounded point, a forked end, and a rippled surface; with an old collector's record card detailing place of purchase and other details. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired from Elgin Antiques, Portobello Road, 26th November 1960, for £2.00.
From the private collection of Peter Clayton, FCILIP, Dip, Arch, FSA, FRNS, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK; formed since the late 1950s.
Accompanied by an old handwritten information card by Peter Clayton, collection no.77.
Cf. Patch, D.C., 'Flint Blade', in: Allen, J.P. Mininberg, D.T. (eds.), The Art of Medicine in Ancient Egypt, New York, 2005, pp. 27–28, no. 17, for a fine example of the type.
FootnotesThese objects were crafted from fine flint and featured a narrow, pointed handle end, once hafted into wood, ivory, bone, or gold, and a broad, serrated, forked blade. Originally used during life, possibly to cut an infant's umbilical cord, they were later placed in male graves as elite ceremonial or funerary objects. Egyptologists often associate them with the pesesh-kef tool used in the funerary 'Opening of the Mouth' ceremony, which symbolically restored breath and the senses to a mummy or statue.
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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LOT 0004
Egyptian Knapped Stone Fish-Tailed Knife
Estimate £500 - 700€580 - 810 (for guidance only)$680 - 950 (for guidance only)
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Phoenician Marbled Grey Stone Scarab with Bird
Late 1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £40 - 60 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Plano-convex in section, with hatched segmentation on the upper face; underside with bird in flight, with radiating strokes to the border; edge chipped; supplied with an impression. 4.11 grams, 17 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
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Egyptian Libation Vessel in the Form of a Squatting Woman
3rd century B.C.-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £675
Formed as a naked pregnant woman in a squatting position, with sagging breasts and a strongly bulging belly; pubis clearly visible between the legs, which are spread wide apart; eyes and mouth perforated to serve as a spout; filling hole at the back of the head; left foot partly absent. 161 grams, 10 cm
Hans Jurgen Döpp (1940), Frankfurt. From The Erotica Collection of Christian von Faber-Castell, Küsnacht ZH, Switzerland; acquired from Bernd Gackstätter, Antikenkabinett Frankfurt. -
Egyptian Royal Bright Blue Glazed Shabti Fragment with Cartouche
New Kingdom, circa early 13th century B.C.Estimate: £150 - 200 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
The lower legs and feet are preserved, bearing a portion of the central frontal column of inscription in black, with the sign of royalty followed by a cartouche containing a sun disc with a seated divinity beneath, wearing a feather headdress; below the cartouche are the two signs meaning 'true of voice'. 35 grams, 50 mm
From the private collection of Peter Clayton, FCILIP, Dip, Arch, FSA, FRNS, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK; formed since the late 1950s.
An intriguing fragment. The brilliant blue colour suggests shabtis for Seti I, although the cartouche lacks the men sign that would correctly spell his name. It seems possible that this was an artisan's mistake - after all, Seti I was buried with at least 700 shabtis.
