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LOT 0051
Egyptian Painted Wooden Mummy Mask
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, CIRCA 3RD CENTURY B.C.
11 3/4 in. (1.04 kg, 30 cm).
D-shaped in plan with carved facial detailing, thick nose and full lips; painted bands to the brow, pierced in three places for attachment.
ProvenanceSwiss private collection, Zurich, assembled in the 1950s.
Private collection.
Acquired on the Zurich art market in 2013.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12847-241680.
Cf. for a similar mask Derbala, A., Müller, A., ‘Cartonnage to Plaster. Mummy Masks of the Ptolemaic and Early Roman Periods from Tuna el-Gebel’ in Archäologischer Anzeiger, 2022/2, fig.17, p.49.
FootnotesThe cartonnage mask from the Ptolemaic Period (305-30 BC) was a funerary covering made of wood or layers of papyrus/linen and plaster, modelled and painted, which covered the face of the mummy, often gilded, decorated with coloured glass and stones, and depicted the deceased with an idealized face and golden skin to protect him and guarantee him rebirth as a deity in the afterlife, combining Egyptian tradition with Graeco-Roman influences.
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 Faience Shabti Group
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Comprising two blue mummiform figures with their arms crossed at the chest and wearing a tripartite wig and a false beard. 20 grams total, 58-68 mm
Ex H Norri collection, Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire, UK, 1980s-1990s. -
Large Egyptian Lapis Lazuli Heart Scarab
New Kingdom, 1550-1070 B.C.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Naturalistically modelled head, thorax, and abdomen, with elytra outlined by incised lines; front, middle, and hind legs visible at the sides and merging into an oval base plinth. 31 grams, 39 mm
Ex early 20th century collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13102-249410.
The scarab amulet was one of ancient Egypt’s most widespread symbols, signifying rebirth, transformation, and protection. Modelled on the dung beetle associated with the sun god Khepri—believed to roll the sun across the sky—it symbolised the cycle of life and renewal. Widely used from the early Middle Kingdom onwards, scarabs served as funerary amulets, personal charms, and seals, often inscribed with prayers or names. They reflect both spiritual beliefs and daily life in ancient Egypt. -
Egyptian Faience Amulet Collection
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £450 - 650 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £225
Comprising: an amuletic bead consisting of a row of seven Taweret figures on a rectangular base, pierced longitudinally; a seated ibis before a diminutive figure of Maat on a tongue-shaped base; a cippus amulet composed of the figure of Pataikos standing on two crocodiles, with two hawks perched on his shoulders, a scarab on his head, flanked by the figures of Isis and Nephthys, and on the back, a winged goddess standing on the crocodiles' tails. 6.5 grams total, 16-30 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
