Egyptian Poppy Amulet Group

Presented in a striding pose with his left leg forward and his arms at his sides; wearing his emblem, the lotus-flower headdress from which two plumes emerge, and a menat on each side; dorsal pillar with hieroglyphs, beginning with the incantation: "Words spoken by Nefertum, son of Sekhmet...." 42.8 grams, 11.6 cm



From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.

Nefertum is usually depicted as a young man wearing a headdress with a lotus flower or a crown featuring the flower. The god is often linked to beauty, healing, and the lotus flower, with his cult connected to the royal family and the cycle of rebirth. Nefertum’s imagery and symbolism associate him with themes of creation, renewal, and the sun; he symbolises the first sunlight and the pleasant scent of the Egyptian blue lotus flower, emerging from the primal waters within an Egyptian blue water lily.

Rectangular plaque with raised Tilapia fish motif on the top and six ring-and-dot motifs on the underside. 2.12 grams, 17 mm



Mrs Allinson to Mrs Foster, 1867 and thence by descent to the current owner, Stanley Crescent, London, UK.

Amulets depicting the Tilapia fish served as symbols of regeneration.

Three pendants each with poppy-head and loop at the apex. 3.55 grams total, 17-19 mm



From a gentleman's family collection, 2000s.