Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0431
Egyptian Silver Fly Amulet
LATE-PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 664-30 B.C.
1 in. (2 grams, 24 mm).
With detailing to wings and eyes, loop for suspension above the head. [No Reserve]
Provenance
Ex 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.
Literature
Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, pp.62-3.
Footnotes
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.
CONDITIONVETTING:
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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Egyptian Green-Blue Glass Inlay of the Horus Falcon
Ptolemaic Period, circa 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Modelled in silhouette with painted detailing; mounted on a custom-made stand. 24.15 grams total, 73 mm including stand
with Eternal Egypt, London, UK. Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above on the 21 May 1992. Accompanied by a copy of the Eternal Egypt invoice. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Steatite and Other Scarab Group
Mainly Second Intermediate Period, circa 1660-1500 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £364
Designs include: a line border enclosing a decorative symmetrical scroll-work pattern; a line border enclosing a horse with papyrus clumps above and in front; deeply impressed bird and other signs behind; a line border enclosing a nwb (gold) sign flanked by Red Crowns, with a bee above flanked by coiled cobras; a line border enclosing a djed, neb, and sun disc, with narrow neb(?) signs above and below. 8.76 grams total, 12-21 mm
Acquired on the European art market in the early 2000s. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Faience Amulet Collection
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Comprising: an amuletic bead consisting of a row of seven Taweret figures on a rectangular base, pierced longitudinally; a seated ibis before a diminutive figure of Maat on a tongue-shaped base; a cippus amulet composed of the figure of Pataikos standing on two crocodiles, with two hawks perched on his shoulders, a scarab on his head, flanked by the figures of Isis and Nephthys, and on the back, a winged goddess standing on the crocodiles' tails. 6.5 grams total, 16-30 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
