Egyptian Ptolemaic Alabaster Amulet with Locust

Proof etching on laid paper of plate 64 from Vol.II of Description de l'Égypte : ou, Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française. entitled Thèbes. Hypogées. Manuscrit sur papyrus. 4eme partie. 235 grams, 105 x 69.5 cm



From the collection of a North American priest. Acquired between 1981-1996. Property of a North American collector.

Produced between February 1802 and 1830 on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte; published between 1809 and 1828. Just 1,000 copies were distributed to various institutions, printed on laid paper with an 'Égypte ancienne et moderne' watermark. The book is subtitled Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l’expédition de l’Armée française, publié par les ordres de Sa Majesté l’Empereur Napoléon le Grand (Gathering of observations and discoveries which were made in Egypt during the expedition of the French army, published on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon the Great). It was the world's first encyclopedia devoted exclusively to the remains of ancient Egypt. The plates of this book are the first to present the archaeological sites of Thebes (Luxor). The papyrus manuscript was recovered from an underground tomb chamber (hypogeum). This includes a scene (bottom right) depicting the weighing of the deceased's heart before Osiris's divine tribunal. The heart is balanced against the feather of Maat, and the ibis-headed Thoth records the verdict. If the heart fails to balance, it is devoured by a fearsome creature called Ammut, and the deceased would cease to exist.

With high-relief plant motifs within thick rectilinear borders; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 730 grams total, 48.5 cm wide



Previously belonging to J Stewart, Mayfair, London, UK; acquired in the early 1980s. Property of a Middlesex gentleman.

Schematically modelled a kneeling figure of the god with arms raised above his head, holding a stylised solar disc, pierced through the dorsal pillar; supplied with a stand. 1.49 grams, 18 mm



From the collection of David Donlan (1947-2025), a dedicated and lifelong collector with a passion for the ancient world and the natural sciences, forming his collection from 1960s onwards, using many reputable dealers across the United Kingdom, including the well-regarded Coincraft and The Parthenon Gallery.

Shu amulets could serve both the dead and the living: they were placed between the mummy bandages on the lower part of the deceased’s torso, allowing the dead to pass smoothly on their journey towards rebirth; they could also serve as a magical amulet at birth, symbolising a protector of new life.