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LOT 0522
Egyptian Silver Bastet as Seated Cat Amulet
LATE-PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 664-30 B.C.
1/4 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]
ProvenanceEx London, UK, gentleman 1980-1990s.
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 Green Glazed Steatite Syncretic Amulet of Mut
Third Intermediate Period, circa 1069-735 B.C.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Modelled in the round, formed as the goddess standing before a high-backed throne cradling the head of a standing naked child to her chest; the goddess with tiered double-crown and tripartite wig; throne with low-relief figure of the lioness-headed goddess Sekhmet to the rear with spread wings forming the arms of the chair. 22.6 grams, 61 mm
with Jean-Phillipe Mariaud de Serres, Paris, France. Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above in 1992. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12633-235083. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Mut was a prominent mother goddess in ancient Egyptian religion, associated with creation, motherhood, and the sky. She was the consort of the god Amun and the mother of Khonsu, forming the Theban triad with them in Thebes. Mut's name ("mother" in ancient Egyptian), reflects her role as a divine mother and patroness of motherhood. Sekhmet was revered as a powerful and fierce protector. Her presence was believed to ward off evil and safeguard the people from harm. In ancient Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet was also a manifestation of Hathor, another powerful birth goddess. -
Egyptian Faience Fist Amulet
Ptolemaic-Roman Period, 323 B.C.-323 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
Modelled as a right hand in fica protective gesture; pierced at wrist. 1.48 grams, 20 mm
From 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. -
Egyptian Faience Amulet Representing Taweret
664-332 B.C.Estimate: £300 - 400 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £150
Modelled in the round on a rectangular base and with dorsal pillar pierced at the shoulder, the goddess in hippopotamus form with human torso and arms. 10.3 grams, 52 mm
Private collection, Carouge, Switzerland, assembled in the 1980s-1990s. Thence by descent to the collection of Mr S.P., since 2020. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
