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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]
ProvenanceEx 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.
Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, pp.62-3.
FootnotesAlthough 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.
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 Blue Faience Sons of Horus Plaques
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Two rectangular plaques, each depicting one of the 'Four Sons of Horus' - Qebehsenuef and Hapi - shown mummiform, wearing a tripartite wig and broad collar, both pierced at the upper and lower edges. 26.8 grams total, 79-80 mm
Professor Haeberlin collection, acquired in Egypt in the late 19th century. Acquired by E.S., Germany, in 1962. Private collection of Mr K.A., acquired in the 1990s-early 2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The Four Sons of Horus were deities tasked with protecting the internal organs of the deceased. The human-headed Imsety safeguarded the liver, the baboon-headed Hapy looked after the lungs, the jackal-headed Duamutef defended the stomach, and the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef protected the intestines. Amulets featuring these deities were included within the mummy wrappings. -
Egyptian Alabaster Headrest Pillar with Hieroglyphic Inscription
Old Kingdom, 5th-6th Dynasty, 2494-2181 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,950
Formed as a carved cone with fluting to the vertical face; plain panel with incised hieroglyphic text and cartouche; one part of a head-rest assembly. 628 grams, 12 cm
Private collection of Mr A., Montreal, acquired in the early 1980s. Private collection, Switzerland, acquired from the above in 1993. Thence by descent, family collection, from the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12849-241633. 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. -
Egyptian Mummy Shroud Section with Hieratic Text
Late-Ptolemaic Period, circa 480-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
A section of woven linen textile featuring lines of neat hieratic text in black. 5.61 grams, 16 cm
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.
From the fifth century B.C., mummy wrappings for the affluent frequently display lines of hieratic script—a cursive variant of Egyptian hieroglyphs used for both daily and religious writings. These often include excerpts from funerary texts like the Book of the Dead, along with prayers and invocations designed to safeguard and guide the deceased in the afterlife. These texts, sometimes accompanied by vignettes, were inscribed directly on the linen strips before or during the mummification process. Some of these bandages could be remarkably long; one example from Brussels, measuring only 6.2 cm in width, spans an incredible 26 metres.
