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LOT 0447
Egyptian Silver Bastet as Seated Cat Amulet
LATE-PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 664-30 B.C.
3/8 in. (0.34 grams, 8 mm).
Seated figure of a cat with pointed ears mounted on a rectangular base with a rounded end; suspension loop on the back. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom an early 20th century collection.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, item 29(c).
FootnotesThe cat was sacred to Bastet, a protective mother goddess and the daughter of the sun god Re. Amulets offered the wearer the goddess's protection.
Her name means ‘she of the bast [ointment jar],’ which may have contained a substance favoured by or exclusive to royalty. Originally, Bastet was depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, but by the late New Kingdom, she was usually shown with a cat's head. She is sometimes portrayed with kittens, emphasising her maternal role as a fierce protector of offspring.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Gold Fly Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £650
With hatched detailing to the body and wings. 1.62 grams, 17 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Considering that Egyptian artists often depicted fly whisks in the hands of pharaohs and high officials, one might assume that flies were merely a nuisance. However, the Egyptians held flies in high regard for their speed, quick reactions, and persistence. Small fly amulets first appeared in burials during the Naqada II Period, around 3200 B.C. These amulets gained popularity, and the materials used to make them varied during the New Kingdom. They were crafted from various materials such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, amethyst, faience, and bone. These amulets were believed to protect against insect bites and to ward off troublesome flying creatures through apotropaic magic. Some believe they may have even symbolised the fly’s fecundity. Additionally, pharaohs would bestow gold fly-shaped pendants as military awards to honour the bravery and persistence of soldiers in battle. -
Egyptian Faience Bead and Amulet Collection
Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £520
Including floral, poppy seed, uraeus, an eye bead, a bull with solar disc, a standing deity holding a sceptre, and other types; mounted on cardboard backing with collector's label 'A.94.'. 24 grams total, 11.4 x 8.4 cm
From the private collection of Walter Thomas Gaze Cooper (1895-1980). This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Blue Glazed Pataikos Statuette
Third Intermediate Period, 1069-702 B.C.Estimate: £600 - 800 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £300
Modelled in the round standing nude on a D-shaped base with atef crown, dorsal pillar with loop. 13.68 grams, 73 mm
Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995. with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003. Property of a London based academic, 2003 to present. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Herodotus mentions Pataikos as a dwarf-like representation of Ptah, although the ancient Egyptian name of the god remains unclear. These diminutive amulets symbolise Ptah’s immense magical power, which serves to protect the wearer from dangerous creatures such as snakes and crocodiles. The role of the deity in the funerary sphere is explained in Spell 164 of the Book of the Dead, where Pataikos is used to protect the deceased’s heart from enemy attacks and the putrefaction of the body. The atef crown worn by this example, clearly links the figure to the underworld god, Osiris.
