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LOT 0458
Egyptian Silver Gazelle Amulet
LATE-PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 664-30 B.C. OR EARLIER
3/4 in. (1 grams, 21 mm).
Figure of a leaping gazelle modelled in the half-round, two attachment loops to the reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom 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.
Cf. Aldred, C., Jewels of the Pharaohs: Egyptian Jewellery of the Dynastic Period, London, 1971, pp. 74, 202, fig. 55, for the ‘falcon collar’ of Queen Ahhotep, which includes similar leaping ibex figures.
FootnotesThe ‘flying gallop’ pose of animal figures, including the ibex, in ancient Egyptian jewellery elements is considered to be of Aegean influence.
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 Faience Necklace with Pendant
New Kingdom, 1400-1100 B.C.Estimate: £700 - 900 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £350
Designer necklace composed of alternating white and turquoise tubular beads with oval spacer bead; a collar terminal as a central pendant with two rows of petal-shaped beads incorporating tubular and ring spacers suspended below. 41 grams, 76 cm long
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. -
Egyptian Silver Fly Amulet
Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
With linear detailing to body and wings, loop above the head. 2 grams, 24 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.
Small fly amulets first appeared in burials during the Naqada II Period, c. 3200 B.C. These amulets grew in popularity and the materials used to make them expanded during the New Kingdom. They are crafted from a variety of materials such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, amethyst, faience, and bone. These amulets were thought to protect against insect bites and to ward off troublesome flying creatures through apotropaic magic. Some believe they may have even been intended to symbolise the fly’s fecundity. Additionally, pharaohs would bestow gold fly-shaped pendants as military awards to honour the bravery and fly-like persistence of soldiers in battle. -
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Egyptian Wooden Cow Giving Birth Diorama with Two Figures
Middle Kingdom, 11th-12th Dynasty, 2023-1862 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Comprising three figures to represent a calving scene: a standing cow or other quadruped giving birth to its young, its head, neck and forelegs emerging from the mother's rear, both with a black and white speckled coat; a standing male figure with articulated arms and pierced hands, wearing a kilt and cropped wig and with stylised facial detailing; a kneeling figure also with articulated arms, open-palm hands, wearing a kilt and cropped wig, stylised facial features; extensive remains of polychrome pigment. 113 grams total, 9.5-16 cm
From an early 20th century Home Counties collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11597-199209. 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.
Such models would have been deposited in tombs; the purpose of such a scene was probably to evoke the season of spring, when calves were born, and the floodplain where farmers lived and raised their livestock.
