Egyptian Silver Amulet of Horus-Ra in the Form of a Falcon

A lapis lazuli amuletic scarab with the falcon head of Ra with lappet headdress and broad collar; ribbed loop to the underside for suspension 6.9 grams, 25 mm



UK art market, prior 2000. English private collection.

This scarab was probably attached to the mummy, and its falcon head symbolising the sun-god Ra served to emphasise the solar aspect of the amulet, and give added potency to its regenerative power.

A figurine in blue-green faience depicting a human female displaying traits of achondroplasia, with a disproportionate body, protruding abdomen, prominent buttocks, and shortened limbs; the large and exaggeratedly flattened head sports a distinctive hairstyle consisting of three ‘bunches’ on the front and three long braids at the back; the shaven top of the head is indicated by stippling; the figure wearing a long, single-strand shell necklace, armlets, and a girdle, all indicated in black pigment, as are the facial details, hair colour, pubic triangle, fingernails, and toenails. 50 grams, 66 mm high



Acquired from Dr Jan Beekmans, circa 1985. UK private collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11594-198343.

This figurine belongs to a rare sub-type in a category of anthropomorphic figures produced during the late 12th-13th Dynasty. The category comprises around 200 figurines which include truncated-leg females, ‘grotesque’ human forms, and those displaying more distinct traits of achondroplasia, such as can be observed in this figurine. Very few examples of this particular sub-type are known, of which only one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York provides a close parallel in terms of overall styling and form with this figurine. The purpose of this figurine is not fully understood, but other types of female representations in the large corpus of Middle Kingdom faience figurines are now considered to have embodied generative and regenerative power for their owners. This figurine shares the same distinctive three-braid hairstyle and the necklace, armlets, and girdle body adornments found on some. Body adornments of this kind also occur on wooden ‘paddle doll’ female figurines which are considered to have some connection with khener-dancers, who performed in royal, temple and funerary spheres. Since, in funeral contexts, ritual dances were often performed by dwarfs, a further connection can possibly be made between the role of khener-dancers and this figurine. The performance of such dancers in royal or funerary contexts was considered to bring the power of regeneration and potency to the recipient.

A wooden animal birthing scene composed of three figures: a standing cow or other quadruped giving birth to its young, its head, neck and forelegs emerging from the mother's rear, both with a black and white speckled coat; a standing male figure with articulated arms and pierced hands, wearing a kilt and cropped wig and with stylised facial detailing; a kneeling figure also with articulated arms, open-palm hands, wearing a kilt and cropped wig, stylised facial features; extensive remains of polychrome pigment. 111 grams total, 9.5-16 cm



From an early 20th century Home Counties collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11597-199209.

Such models would have been deposited in tombs; the purpose of such a scene was probably to evoke the season of spring, when calves were born, and the floodplain where farmers lived and raised their livestock.