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LOT 0496
Egyptian Limestone Floral Inlay Group
ROMAN PERIOD, 30 B.C.-323 A.D. OR EARLIER
1/2 - 3/4 in. (48.8 grams total, 12-20 mm).
Group of cylindrical and discoid inlay plaques or gaming counters, crinoids with cinquefoil motif. [21, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a central London ADA dealership, 1980-1990.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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.
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 Gold Fly Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
Chevron-shaped pendant with incised detailing to the body and wings. 1.76 grams, 17 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Considering that Egyptian artists often depicted fly whisks in the hands of pharaohs and high officials, one might assume that flies were merely a nuisance. However, the Egyptians held flies in high regard due to their quick speed, reactions, and persistence. Small fly amulets first appeared in burials during the Naqada II Period, around 3200 B.C. These amulets grew in popularity, and the materials used to make them expanded during the New Kingdom. They are crafted from various materials such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, amethyst, faience, and bone. These amulets were believed to protect against insect bites and to ward off troublesome flying creatures through apotropaic magic. Some believe they may have even been intended to symbolise the fly’s fecundity. Additionally, pharaohs would bestow gold, fly-shaped pendants as military awards to honour the bravery and fly-like persistence of soldiers in battle. -
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Phoenician Stone Scaraboid Seal
Circa 750-700 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
With incised hatched motif to underside. 2.96 grams, 18 mm
with Artemis Gallery, Munich, Germany, 1998. Private collection, Europe. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
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Egyptian 'Becker' Serpentine Vessel
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, circa 1450 B.C.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,800
Piriform jar with wide, flat rim and short neck, narrow neck and flat base. 1.2 kg, 15.5 cm
Ex Becker collection, 1920s. Private collection, Los Angeles, USA, 1990s. Private European collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12576-232111. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
