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LOT 0468
Egyptian Silver Horus Serekh Amulet
LATE-PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 664-30 B.C.
3/8 in. (0.71 grams, 10 mm).
An element from a necklace in the form of Horus in falcon form sitting atop the palace façade motif (serekh). [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. 21, 173, fig. 1, for similar elements used on a First Dynasty bracelet; Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, p.61 fig. 66 l, for a faience example dated to the Ptolemaic Period.
FootnotesExamples of this distinctive motif can be traced back to the very beginning of Egyptian history. It represents the recessed niches of royal and religious architecture, and served as a device to contain the Horus name of the king. The most notable example of jewellery incorporating this motif is the elaborate bracelet found in the tomb of King Djer at Abydos, which is composed of alternating turquoise and gold falcon-topped serekhs. Similar examples of this element occur as late as the Ptolemaic Period.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Faience Mummy Bead Necklace
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Mainly annular beads in various shades with tubular beads to one section. 12.6 grams, 104 cm
From an old English deceased estate. Acquired on the Yorkshire art market in the early 1990s. Property of a London, UK, collector. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. -
Egyptian Stone Stela with Pharaoh, Isis, Horus and Thoth
Ptolemaic Period, 3rd-2nd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £16,900
Round-topped stela with decoration on two registers; the lunette, featuring a winged sun disc with pendant uraei; the main panel with a frieze in sunk relief depicting the pharaoh wearing the double crown, facing left offering the hieroglyphic symbol for 'fields'; a goddess stands behind him, possibly Isis, wearing a tight-fitting robe and sporting a tall two-plumed headdress, with one hand raised in praise; facing the pharaoh is the falcon-headed god, possibly Horus or Her-wer, wearing a double-crown, and behind him stands the ibis-headed Thoth wearing the Atef crown, both gods hold a was-sceptre; repaired, mounted on a custom-made stand. 19.45 kg total, 55 cm including stand
Acquired in the mid-1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12200-222172. 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.
The overall tripartite composition is comparable to numerous stelae of the Ptolemaic Period and can be dated to the 3rd-2nd century B.C. The decorative lunette and/or sky bands and bold sunk relief winged sun disc are characteristic of this period, as is the fringed detailing of the female’s garment. The offering of the ‘field’ symbol is also a frequent depiction of the stelae of this period, which can be understood as a ‘catch-all’ device representing an offering of all the produce from the fields. Such stelae were often produced as stock products to which clients would have their names and other details added. Therefore, the stela is likely an example of one awaiting purchase. After the purchase, the hieroglyphic labels would be added to the figurative tableau, and a dedicatory text would be carved into the plain rectangle in the lower part. Sometimes, however, it appears that a purchaser could not afford the additional expense of a professionally engraved inscription, and so would scratch a short dedication in the lower panel as seen, for example, in the stela for Horudja from the Delta site of Tanis and now in the Musée du Louvre (inv. no. AF 11682). -
Egyptian Silver Goddess Bastet Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £700 - 900 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £350
Modelled as a cat seated on an oblong base; accompanied by a custom-made display base. 1.27 grams, 13 mm high (6.02 grams total, 33 mm including stand)
Ex Mrs Zimmermann Koutoulakis, December 1977. Ex R. Liechti (1934-2010) Geneva, Switzerland, collection between 1950-1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Bastet was primarily a goddess of fertility, but she also represented festivities and intoxication, which formed part of the temple celebrations of her cult.
