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LOT 0501
Egyptian Light Blue Faience Hippopotamus Amulet
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
3/4 in. (3.63 grams, 20 mm).
Blue glazed figure modelled in the round as a standing hippopotamus, pierced to the centre. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom an early 20th century collection.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
In ancient Egypt, hippos symbolised both danger and protection, representing chaos and fertility. Feared for their aggression along the Nile, they were also associated with the protective goddess Taweret and the river’s life-giving power.
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 0501
Egyptian Light Blue Faience Hippopotamus Amulet
Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
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Egyptian Silver Poppy Amulet Group
Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Three pendants each with poppy-head and loop at the apex. 3.05 grams, 17 mm each
Ex London, UK, gentleman 1980-1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Amulets in the form of poppies were used to heal and alleviate pain and to ward off death. These types of amulets were also linked to Osiris, the Egyptian deity of agriculture, death, and the afterlife. -
Egyptian Glass Eye Inlay Pair
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
The sclera white and the iris black. 4.12 grams total, 27-29 mm
Acquired on the UK art market, 1977-1979. Private collection, London. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Egyptian coffin eye inlays were both decorative and symbolic, intended to make the coffin appear lifelike and assist the deceased in the afterlife. Typically, they featured a white sclera (glass, travertine, alabaster or quartz), a dark iris (glass or often obsidian), and sometimes red paint at the inner corner. The eyes were often set in bronze or copper frames, occasionally with faience or bronze eyebrows. -
Egyptian Stone Crocodile Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Gently trapezoidal plinth with the finely detailed figure of a crocodile on top. 17.8 grams, 46 mm
From a UK dealer since the 1970s. From an old London, UK, collection since circa 1985. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Crocodile amulets represent the god Sobek - a complex Egyptian god embodying both destructive and creative forces. As the god of the Nile, fertility, and water, he played a vital role in agriculture and the land's prosperity. Sobek was revered for his dual nature as a protector and life-giver, particularly in times of war or need. His strength and protective qualities were essential to daily life and the Egyptians’ understanding of the cosmos, leaving a lasting impact on their culture.
