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LOT 0518
Egyptian Limestone 'Floral' Inlay Group
ROMAN PERIOD, 30 B.C.-323 A.D. OR EARLIER
3/8 - 3/4 in. (60 grams total, 9-20 mm).
Group of discoid inlay plaques or gaming counters, crinoids with cinquefoil motif. [46, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a central London ADA dealership, 1980-1990.
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 Amulet of Trussed Ibex
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Turquoise glazed faience figure of a trussed ibex, with the remains of its large curled horn, tail, facial details, and rope tie picked out in black; damaged and repaired. 11.6 grams, 63 mm
From the private collection of the late Mrs Belinda Ellison, a long time member of the Egyptian Exploration Society, c.1940-2020.
Figurines of trussed ibexes in faience were occasionally included in foundation deposits, possibly to represent animals that were sacrificed. However, the shallow depression in the body of this animal is similar to the style of cosmetic dishes, indicating that this particular example may be a funerary object symbolising a more valuable toiletry item. -
Egyptian Faience Bull-Headed Shabti from the Serapeum at Saqqara
New Kingdom, Ramesside Period, 1295-1069 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,250
Pale faience figurine representing a bull-headed mummy adorned with a tripartite wig and human arms crossed over the chest with hands holding a pick and a hoe; only the lower legs and feet missing; the opening part of a central panel of hieroglyphic inscription reads: Wsir ͗ ḥp, 'the Osiris Apis'; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 152 grams total, 15 cm including stand
Probably found at the Serapeum at Saqqara in the 19th century. From the private collection of the late Mr M.S.C., Norfolk, UK, formed 1950s-1960s. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan.
While most shabtis served as substitutes or servants of the deceased and were placed in the tomb, some, like this example, were votive objects deposited in places of great sanctity. Virtually all known Apis shabtis come from excavations in the Serapeum catacombs led by Auguste Mariette from 1850 to 1853. They all belong to activity dating to the 19th and 20th Dynasties (circa 1295-1069 BC) and were unearthed in various chambers where they had been placed as votive offerings to honour the deified Apis bulls. -
Egyptian Gold Ba-Bird Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
Finely detailed depiction of a human-headed ba-bird with outspread wings and the one preserved claw holding a shen ring. 0.38 grams, 15 mm
From the private collection of the late Mrs Belinda Ellison, a long time member of the Egyptian Exploration Society, c.1940-2020.
In ancient Egyptian religion, the ba is one of the principal aspects of the human soul, along with the ka and the akh. It is often depicted in bird form, symbolising the soul's mobility after death.
