Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 0408

Egyptian Multi-Stranded Mummy Bead Necklace

LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.

30 in. (26 grams, 76 cm).

Multi-stranded designer necklace composed of beads of mainly annular and cylindrical types. [No Reserve]

Provenance

Acquired before 1979.
From the private collection of Mr F.A., South Kensington, London, UK; thence by descent 2014.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Literature

Cf. similar specimens in faience at the Worcester Art Museum, inventory no.1925.539.

Footnotes

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.

CONDITION

VETTING:

TimeLine 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:

TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.

LOT 0408

Egyptian Multi-Stranded Mummy Bead Necklace

Sold for (Inc. bp): £130

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Egyptian Silver Fly Amulet
    Egyptian Silver Fly Amulet
    Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £221

    With linear detailing to body and wings, loop above the head. 2 grams, 24 mm



    From an early 20th century collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

    Small fly amulets first appeared in burials during the Naqada II Period, c. 3200 B.C. These amulets grew in popularity and the materials used to make them expanded during the New Kingdom. They are crafted from a variety of materials such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, amethyst, faience, and bone. These amulets were thought 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.

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Stone Stela with Pharaoh, Isis, Horus and Thoth
    Egyptian Stone Stela with Pharaoh, Isis, Horus and Thoth
    Ptolemaic Period, 3rd-2nd century B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £16,900

    Round-topped stela with decoration on two registers; the lunette, featuring a winged sun disc with pendant uraei; the main panel with a frieze in sunk relief depicting the pharaoh wearing the double crown, facing left offering the hieroglyphic symbol for 'fields'; a goddess stands behind him, possibly Isis, wearing a tight-fitting robe and sporting a tall two-plumed headdress, with one hand raised in praise; facing the pharaoh is the falcon-headed god, possibly Horus or Her-wer, wearing a double-crown, and behind him stands the ibis-headed Thoth wearing the Atef crown, both gods hold a was-sceptre; repaired, mounted on a custom-made stand. 19.45 kg total, 55 cm including stand



    Acquired in the mid-1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12200-222172. 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.

    The overall tripartite composition is comparable to numerous stelae of the Ptolemaic Period and can be dated to the 3rd-2nd century B.C. The decorative lunette and/or sky bands and bold sunk relief winged sun disc are characteristic of this period, as is the fringed detailing of the female’s garment. The offering of the ‘field’ symbol is also a frequent depiction of the stelae of this period, which can be understood as a ‘catch-all’ device representing an offering of all the produce from the fields. Such stelae were often produced as stock products to which clients would have their names and other details added. Therefore, the stela is likely an example of one awaiting purchase. After the purchase, the hieroglyphic labels would be added to the figurative tableau, and a dedicatory text would be carved into the plain rectangle in the lower part. Sometimes, however, it appears that a purchaser could not afford the additional expense of a professionally engraved inscription, and so would scratch a short dedication in the lower panel as seen, for example, in the stela for Horudja from the Delta site of Tanis and now in the Musée du Louvre (inv. no. AF 11682).

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Faience Pataikos Amulet
    Egyptian Faience Pataikos Amulet
    Late Period, 525-332 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £169

    Depicted nude with a cap to his head, ribbed suspension loop to the rear of the neck. 6.03 grams, 36 mm



    UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

    Pataikos is a representation of the creator deity Ptah, and his diminutive form is a symbol of his immense magical power.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list