Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 0475

Egyptian Multi-Stranded Mummy Bead Necklace

LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.

32 1/4 in. (22.9 grams, 82 cm).

A four-strand designer necklace composed of polychrome beads of mainly annular and tubular types. [No Reserve]

Provenance

Acquired before 1979.
From the private collection of Mr F.A., South Kensington, London, UK; thence by descent 2014.

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 0475

Egyptian Multi-Stranded Mummy Bead Necklace

Sold for (Inc. bp): £111

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Egyptian Lapis Lazuli Wedjat Eye
    Egyptian Lapis Lazuli Wedjat Eye
    Third Intermediate Period-Late Period, 1069-332 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,210

    Sizeable and finely detailed Eye of Horus, wedjat, with both falcon and human elements, visible gold flecks in places (characteristic of this stone), and two suspension loops on the top. 18.8 grams, 46 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.

    This finely carved wedjat-eye amulet is a representation of the healed eye of the god Horus, featuring both human and falcon elements. The name wedjat in ancient Egyptian means ‘the one that is sound.’ According to Egyptian mythology, Horus' eye was wounded or taken by the god Seth and restored by Thoth. The wedjat-eye amulet was thought to protect its wearer and bestow the power of recovery and regeneration onto them. It was very popular and used by both the living and the dead.

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Blue Faience Bastet Cat Amulet
    Egyptian Blue Faience Bastet Cat Amulet
    New Kingdom, circa 1550-1070 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £715

    Modelled seated on a tongue-shaped base, with simple facial detailing and suspension loop to the back. 3.25 grams, 28 mm



    Ex London gallery and Belinda Elliston, a member of the Egyptian Exploration Society, 1940s onwards.

    In ancient Egypt, the cat was venerated as the sacred animal of the goddess Bastet, whose principal cult centre was Bubastis in the Nile Delta. Although cats were once part of folk practice, their veneration as part of formal cults spread across Egypt during the Late Period. Bastet was closely linked to lion-headed goddesses like Sekhmet, Tefnut, and Pakhet, and the cat itself became associated with solar imagery: the Book of the Dead portrays the sun god as a Great Cat vanquishing Apophis beneath the sacred Ished Tree. The cat could also embody the Eye of the Sun or, more often in Bastet’s case, the Eye of the Moon. Mummified cats were frequently dedicated as votive offerings, and some of their feline-shaped coffins were adorned with finely crafted bronze heads to enhance their divine likeness.

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Hematite Macehead
    Egyptian Hematite Macehead
    3rd millennium B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £325

    Piriform with narrow socket tapering to the socket's mouth. 323 grams, 54 mm



    Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.

    Lot Details

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