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LOT 0467
Egyptian Limestone 'Floral' Inlay Group
ROMAN PERIOD, 30 B.C.-323 A.D. OR EARLIER
1/2 - 3/4 in. (80 grams total, 12-19 mm).
Group of discoid inlay plaques or gaming counters, crinoids with cinquefoil motif. [49, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a central London ADA gallery, 1990s.
FootnotesFlowers 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.
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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Egyptian Faience Amulet Group
Mainly Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
Comprising fragmentary amulets including, a wedjat-eye of Horus, Tawaret, a seated Isis, a Tawaret in two parts, and Bes. 27 grams total, 11-31 mm
From an early 20th century Home Counties, UK, collection. -
Phoenician Bronze Figure
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £624
Modelled in the round with tall conical cap, pinched face, flat discoid upper body and single-piece legs, ovoid foot; lightly punched eyes, navel and nipples, horseshoe punch-detailing to edges; mounted on a display stand. 56 grams total, 10.3 cm including stand
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
This figurine bears a resemblance to other simply crafted figurines found in temple deposits at Byblos and other Phoenician sites. The tall conical cap seen on many of these figurines is reminiscent of the hedjet Egyptian crown, underscoring the robust cultural and commercial ties between the Levant and Egypt. -
Egyptian Bronze Bes Statuette
Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
Standing on a rectangular base with flared modius type headdress; modelled in the round with tail to the reverse; re-patinated. 21 grams, 37 mm
UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman.
From the New Kingdom onwards, Bes became one of ancient Egypt's most popular apotropaic deities. Despite his rather fearful appearance, Bes was the patron and protector of pregnant women and children and was also believed to protect them from harmful creatures like snakes.
