Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0434
Egyptian Rock Crystal Piriform Vessel
OLD KINGDOM, 5TH-6TH DYNASTY, CIRCA 2500-2200 B.C.
2 3/8 in. (55 grams, 59 mm).
Model amphora with trumpet-shaped mouth and piriform body; shallow socket above.
Provenance
with Archaeologia, Switzerland, before 1983.
Ex private North American collection.
London private collection, 2016.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.13231-249997.
Literature
Cf. Aston, B.G., Ancient Egyptian Stone Vessels: Materials and Forms, SAGA 5, Heidelberg, 1994, 140, no. 137, for examples.
Footnotes
This model vessel was probably linked to the "Opening of the Mouth" ritual, which revived the deceased.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0434
Egyptian Rock Crystal Piriform Vessel
Estimate £2,500 - 3,500€2,900 - 4,060 (for guidance only)$3,380 - 4,730 (for guidance only)
RELATED LOTS
-
Egyptian Glass Bead Necklace with Large Sekhmet Faience Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
Restrung group of polyhedral and tubular beads in fusiform, biconvex, tubular and other types; triangular dangles and pendant of cat-headed Sekhmet. 26 grams, 44 cm, amulet: 50 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Phoenician Lapis Lazuli Scarab in Gold Swivel Ring
6th-4th century B.C. and laterEstimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £500
With lightly incised anatomical detailing to the scarab; the underside with a central cartouche flanked by two rearing crowned uraei, a pair of falcons standing above the cartouche facing a smꜣ hieroglyph symbolising union (of the two lands, Upper and Lower Egypt); set into a later gold swivel ring. 4.34 grams, 26.44 mm overall, 15.68 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J 1/2, USA 5, Europe 9.32, Japan 9)
with Bonhams, London, UK, 21 October 1999, no.36. Private collection, Europe. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12370-226696. -
Egyptian Heart Scarab Group
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Comprising two scarabs with striated wing cases and ribbed underside. 7.5 grams total, 18-20 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
The scarab amulet was a powerful symbol of rebirth, transformation, and protection in ancient Egypt. Modelled after the beetle linked to the sun god Khepri, it represented the cycle of life and regeneration. Used from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2050 BCE) onwards, scarabs served as funerary amulets, personal charms, and seals—often inscribed with prayers or names—reflecting both spiritual beliefs and daily life.
