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LOT 0454
Egyptian Mounted Coptic Textile with Vines
CIRCA 6TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
23 x 7 1/4 in. (111 grams, 58 x 18.5 cm).
Composed of a clavus decorated with grape leaves and vine shoots in light yellow colour upon a purple background, with two bunches of grapes marked in green, the frame formed of a double line surrounded externally by a minute recurring spiral. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 1970s-1996.
Property of a North American collector.
London collection, 2016.
Cf. Del Francia Barocas, L., Museo dell'Alto Medioevo, Roma, I materiali Copti, p.162-163, nos.39 A-B, for similar textile figures and warp.
FootnotesTapestry technique on natural light yellow wool upon linen. It is highly probable that this tapestry was part of a tunic decoration, a clavus, running vertically on the breast and on the back of it.
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 Cat Amulet of the God Bastet
Late New Kingdom, 1070-900 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £546
Modelled seated on an arch-shaped base, with simple facial detailing and suspension loop to the reverse. 0.50 grams, 8 mm
From an early 20th century French collection.
The goddess Bastet was considered to be the daughter of the sun god and was originally shown with the features of a lion up until about 1000 B.C. when she is portrayed as a cat or human with a cat head. As the daughter of Ra she is associated with the rage inherent in the sun god's eye which was considered to be his instrument of vengeance. Her development into a cat goddess occurred some time around the New Kingdom but did not fully develop until the Late Period. She is still associated with the destructive power of the sun and is shown on the prow of the solar boat decapitating the evil serpent Apophis in the Book of the Dead. The maternal, protective and hunting characteristics of the cat are the most obvious in Bastet and she is seen as a protector of pregnant women and young children. In the Pyramid Texts she is invoked by the deceased king to act as his protector and to help him reach the sky to join the sun god, and the king proclaims that Bastet is his mother and nurse. Like her counterpart, Sekhmet, Bastet has an aggressive side and in a text from Karnak the Pharaoh Amenhotep II describes how his enemies are slaughtered like the victims of Bastet. The goddess had a shrine at Karnak where she is known as the "Lady of Asheru" which places her closely with the goddess Mut, the consort of Amun-Ra. Her most famous shrine was in the north-east Delta region at Bubastis and was known as Per-Bastet or "the House of Bastet." Herodotus describes the festival of Bastet as one of the most elaborate in all of Egypt and identifies her with the Greek Artemis. Cemeteries of cats have been excavated at not only Bubastis but also Saqqara and Memphis. -
Egyptian Brown Faience Tyet Amulet
Late Period, 664-323 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Also known as tit, or the knot of Isis; with pillar to reverse, pierced for suspension. 3.52 grams, 40 mm
From an early 20th century collection, Caernarfon, North Wales, UK. -
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Egyptian Glass Inlay Collection
Circa 1st century B.C.-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Comprising sixteen drawn inlays of various colour combinations. 12 grams total, 12-39 mm
Fine condition.
Ex N.A. collection, 1970s. Kept in the U.K. since 2007.
