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LOT 0009
Egyptian Mummy Shroud Section with Hieratic Text
LATE-PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, CIRCA 480-30 B.C.
12 5/8 in. (8 grams, 32 cm).
A rectangular section of woven linen textile featuring four lines of neat hieratic text in black.
ProvenanceFrom 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.
Cf. A. De Caluwe, A., Un "Livre des Morts" sur bandelette de momie, Brussels, 1991, for a discussion of the longest known mummy bandage.
FootnotesFrom the fifth century B.C., mummy wrappings for the affluent frequently display lines of hieratic script—a cursive variant of Egyptian hieroglyphs used for both daily and religious writings. These often include excerpts from funerary texts like the Book of the Dead, along with prayers and invocations designed to safeguard and guide the deceased in the afterlife. These texts, sometimes accompanied by vignettes, were inscribed directly on the linen strips before or during the mummification process. Some of these bandages could be remarkably long; one example from Brussels, measuring only 6.2 cm in width, spans an incredible 26 metres.
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 Alabaster Alabastron
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £400
Ovoid jar with a rounded base, concave shoulders and flared neck; remains of lug handles, restored. 332 grams, 14 cm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Romano-Egyptian Limestone Stele of a Nobleman Holding an Offering to the Gods
3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,640
Modelled in the half-round as a man standing on an integral plinth, round face with short curly hair, wide eyes, a slender nose and a small mouth; wearing a Greek himation wrapped around his body and feet enclosed in Romano-Egyptian sandals; the left arm lowered and holding a cluster of grapes; his right arm bent at the elbow and holding a roll; remains of red and dark brown pigment on the face and clothing. 50 kg, 81.5 cm
Property of a Surrey lady; acquired by her father Christopher Terry circa 1980. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12603-233353. 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.
Limestone niches with polychrome representations of the deceased were common in Roman Egypt, and lasted until the time of the Arab conquest. The man depicted on this stele certainly belonged to the high contemporary nobility as is evidenced by his well-pleated clothing, which identifies him as a member of local Graeco-Roman aristocracy. -
Large Egyptian Faience Isis Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £250 - 350 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £125
Pale cream amuletic figure of Isis with crown formed as two horns flanking the sun-disc, and a uraeus at the front, wearing a calf-length robe, with dorsal pillar and rectangular base. 19.21 grams total, 76 mm including stand
Ex P.A. collection, London, UK, 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
In ancient Egyptian mythology, Isis was the sister-wife of Osiris and the mother of the sky god Horus. She is associated with aspects of fertility and motherhood and is often depicted in various artworks seated in a nursing pose with her son Horus on her lap.
