Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 0472

Egyptian Silver Fly Amulet

LATE-PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 664-30 B.C.

3/4 in. (0.84 grams, 19 mm).

With linear detailing to wings, raised eyes, pierced for suspension. [No Reserve]

Provenance

Ex London, UK, art market, 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Literature

Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, pp.62-3.

Footnotes

Although flies might seem like mere nuisances—often shown being swatted by pharaohs or officials—ancient Egyptians admired them for their speed, agility, and persistence. Fly-shaped amulets, first appearing in Naqada II burials around 3200 B.C., became especially popular in the New Kingdom. Made from materials like gold, silver, faience, lapis lazuli, and bone, they served apotropaic purposes, protecting against bites and warding off pests. Some may have also symbolised fertility. Gold fly pendants were even awarded by pharaohs to honour soldiers’ bravery and tenacity.

CONDITION

VETTING:

TimeLine 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:

TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.

LOT 0472

Egyptian Silver Fly Amulet

Sold for (Inc. bp): £78

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Egyptian Body of Anubis Glass Inlay
    Egyptian Body of Anubis Glass Inlay
    Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £208

    With gently curved obverse and flat reverse, section of an inlay depicting Anubis, with thick neck and beginning of extended foreleg. 110 grams, 96 mm



    Acquired on the French art market, 1980s. with Bonhams, London, 13 April 2011, lot 21. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams catalogue pages. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

    This coloured glass inlay depicts Anubis, the jackal-headed god of mummification and protector of the dead. Likely part of a coffin or shrine, it demonstrates the use of glass to imitate precious materials in elite funerary art. The figure’s profile and predominantly black colour evoke Anubis’s role in preservation and the afterlife.

    Lot Details

  • Romano-Egyptian Mosaic Glass Fragment Group
    Romano-Egyptian Mosaic Glass Fragment Group
    Roman Period, 30 B.C.-323 A.D.

    Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £50

    Irregular plate fragments with banded, rosette and other designs. 34.6 grams total, 21-48 mm



    Ex Gallery Mikazaki, prior to 1994. From the collection of a London, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Multi-Stranded Mummy Bead Necklace
    Egyptian Multi-Stranded Mummy Bead Necklace
    Late Period, 664-332 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £338

    Three-stranded designer necklace composed of polychrome beads of mainly annular and tubular types. 18.2 grams, 63 cm



    Acquired before 1979. From the private collection of Mr F.A., South Kensington, London, UK; thence by descent 2014. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

    For thousands of years, artisans in Egypt created vibrant ceramics to echo the beauty of rare jewels. These ornaments were created with almost every material, colour, and texture imaginable and they come from across Egypt and beyond: vibrant blue lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, glossy black obsidian from Turkey, and aqua-green turquoise from the Sinai. They were worn in life and, after death, they served as precious ornamentation for mummies.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list