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LOT 0511
Egyptian Silver Cat Amulet
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
3/8 in. (0.33 grams, 8 mm).
Seated figure of a cat with deeply set eyes and pointed ears set on a rectangular base with a rounded end; suspension loop on the back.
ProvenanceFrom an early 20th century collection.
FootnotesThe cat was sacred to Bastet, a protective mother goddess and the daughter of the sun god Re. Amulets provided the wearer with the goddess's protection.
CONDITIONTimeLine 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:
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Egyptian Gold Ba-Bird Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
Finely detailed depiction of a human-headed ba-bird with outspread wings and the one preserved claw holding a shen ring. 0.38 grams, 15 mm
From the private collection of the late Mrs Belinda Ellison, a long time member of the Egyptian Exploration Society, c.1940-2020.
In ancient Egyptian religion, the ba is one of the principal aspects of the human soul, along with the ka and the akh. It is often depicted in bird form, symbolising the soul's mobility after death. -
Egyptian Faience Shabti of Qenu-khayes
New Kingdom, 19th-20th Dynasty, circa 1292-1069 B.C.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £550
Light blue faience mummiform shabti with details added in black line, adorned with a tripartite wig and collar, and the arms crossed over the chest with hands holding a pick and hoe, seed bag and water pots, the back decorated with a curved yoke with pots and a brick mould; a central panel of hieroglyphs on the lower half of the figure giving the dedication: sḥḏ wsı͗r ḳnw ḫꜤs mꜢꜤ ḫrw, ‘The illuminated one, the Osiris Qenu-khayes, true of voice’. 152 grams, 13 cm
Formerly in North American collection, 1990s. From the collection of a London, UK, gentleman. -
Egyptian Pre-Dynastic Greywacke Palette
Predynastic Period, Naqada III, circa 3300–2960 B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Circular in plan with smoothed faces, pierced through the edge. 238 grams, 13.3 cm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
Palettes were utilitarian objects used in the Predynastic Period to grind and mix mineral-based eye pigments (including ochre, malachite, and haematite). Greywacke cosmetic palettes were easily carved in various shapes and sizes, including zoomorphic representations and geometric forms. The symbolism of this circular palette may be connected to the sun disc, which featured prominently in ancient Egyptian culture. The palette was so significant in Predynastic society that purely ceremonial versions, often impractically large for their original purpose, were produced for use in temple rituals. The most famous is the highly decorated Narmer Palette discovered at Hierakonpolis.
