Loading, please wait...
LOT 0548
Egyptian Multi-Stranded Mummy Bead Necklace
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
24 3/4 in. (18.2 grams, 63 cm).
Three-stranded designer necklace composed of polychrome beads of mainly annular and tubular types. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 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.
Cf. similar specimens in faience at the Worcester Art Museum, inventory no.1925.539.
FootnotesFor 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.
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:
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.
-
Egyptian Steatite Scarab Collection
Mostly Late Middle Kingdom, Second Intermediate Period, 1780-1500 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
Mixed group of design scarabs and scaraboids, including: stylised foliate motif with a sa sign; central entwined cords with curled tops and tails, and nefer signs; a falcon with outspread wings and sun disc above, surmounting a fallen enemy; a group of hieroglyphs: a central mes flanked by reed leaves, with a water sign n above, and a neb sign below; a falcon with outspread wings, with two maat feathers and stylised cobras above; a central hes vase flanked by rearing cobras. 32.6 grams total, 15-28 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. -
Egyptian Blue Faience Bead Group
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Comprising mainly long cylindrical beads with some larger beads. 7.7 grams total, 2-24 mm
Part of a group excavated by Petrie at Gurob, latterly in a London, UK, collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Silver Bastet as Seated Cat Amulet
Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Seated figure of a cat with pointed ears mounted on a rectangular base with a rounded end; suspension loop on the back. 0.34 grams, 8 mm
Ex London, UK, gentleman 1980-1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The cat was sacred to Bastet, a protective mother goddess and the daughter of the sun god Re. Amulets offered the wearer the goddess's protection. Her name means ‘she of the bast [ointment jar],’ which may have contained a substance favoured by or exclusive to royalty. Originally, Bastet was depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, but by the late New Kingdom, she was usually shown with a cat's head. She is sometimes portrayed with kittens, emphasising her maternal role as a fierce protector of offspring.
