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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:
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Egyptian Green Glazed Faience Amulet of Nephthys
Late Period, 26th Dynasty, circa 664-525 B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Depicting the goddess Nephthys wearing the two hieroglyphic parts of her name (Neb(et)-Hut), with dorsal pillar and base. 2.68 grams, 37 mm
with B.M.S., Switzerland. Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above on 14 September 1981. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Nephthys was a protective goddess linked to mourning, magic, and the afterlife. As the sister of Isis, she played a vital role in the funerary rites of Osiris. Amulets like this were placed on the deceased to invoke her protection and aid in rebirth. Typically made of faience or semi-precious stone, they were especially common in the Late Period. -
Egyptian Steatite Scarab Group
Mainly Second Intermediate Period–New Kingdom, circa 1660-1069 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Designs include: a tripartite design with ankh, water, nwb, and men signs, with indistinct cartouches possibly of Thutmose III, and signs spelling the phrase 'powerful is the justice of Re' (user-Maat-Re); a line border enclosing the stylised depiction of a striding figure grasping a crocodile, with a neb sign below; a line border enclosing a multitude of signs, including Thutmose III’s throne name (men-kheper-Re), and that of Amun; A line border enclosing central Hathoric sistrum; a line border enclosing a symmetrical motif in contrasting black glaze. 10.6 grams total, 13-19 mm
Acquired on the European art market in the early 2000s. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. 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.
