Egyptian Limestone 'Floral' Inlay Group

Group of discoid inlay plaques or gaming counters, crinoids with cinquefoil motif. 80 grams total, 12-19 mm



From a central London ADA gallery, 1990s.

Flowers were symbolic of rebirth due to the daily reopening of their petals after nightfall. As a result, they were widely used in domestic settings, religious and funerary contexts, and as adornments. Similar rosette discs, like those recovered from the Ramesside Period palace at Qantir, were used as decorative elements in royal palaces.

With boldly indicated head, clypeus, prothorax, and elytra; flat underside; holes at the head, back, and sides for attachment. 19.5 grams, 50 mm



with Beaussant Lefèvre, 17 November 2015, no.48. Acquired by the present owner from the above.

Scarabs were often used as funerary amulets and were believed to symbolise the rebirth and regeneration of the deceased.

Multi-stranded designer necklace composed of beads of mainly annular and tubular types. 23 grams total, 66 cm long



Acquired before 1979. From the private collection of Mr F. A., South Kensington, London, UK; thence by descent 2014.

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