Egyptian Schist Plate

Carved in the half-round with detailed mouth, legs and carapace. 70.2 grams, 49 mm



with Galerie Gunter Phuze, Kunst der Antike, Freiburg, 2000, no.352. Ex George Broomis. Private 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.12936-245209.

Scarabs were among the most popular amulets of ancient Egypt. Modelled on the dung beetle, they symbolised rebirth, transformation, and the daily journey of the sun god across the sky. From the Middle Kingdom onwards, they were widely used as personal seals, jewellery, and offerings in tombs. The flat underside was often carved with names, prayers, or symbols, while the beetle form on top carried protective power. Scarabs were believed to safeguard the wearer in life and assist the dead in the afterlife, making them both practical objects and deeply spiritual charms.

Comprising a flat-section hoop and a raised rectangular bezel, the tapering bezel set with a garnet intaglio engraved with a standing duck. 3.85 grams, 23.13 mm overall, 18.91 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q 1/2, USA 8 1/4, Europe 18.12, Japan 17)



Private English collection. Private 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.12940-245981.

Proof etching on laid paper of plate 65 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. 5eme partie. 244 grams, 103.5 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).