Egyptian Silver Poppy Amulet

A pale blue-green faience mummiform shabti, with arms crossed and holding a hoe in each hand, wearing a tripartite wig with a headband with ties hanging down at the back; a seed bag suspended below the wig; the outline of the eyes, eyebrows, hoes, and seed bag painted black; a central column of hieroglyphs on the front reading: wsı͗r šmꜤyt n ı͗mn ns-ḫns.w ‘The Osiris, chantress of Amun, Nes-Khonsu.’ 166 grams, 12.2 cm



Ex German private collection. Acquired from Galerie BB-Antiken & Asiatika with stock reference no.366/08. From the private collection of a Belgian collector. Ex TimesAncient, Bristol, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the Galerie BB-Antiken & Asiatika certificate dated 1 December 2008. Accompanied by a copy of a previous catalogue entry. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Nes-Khnosu (and the variant Nesy-Khonsu) were common names during the Third Intermediate Period. However, the combination of the name and title in the dedication on this shabti is less common. It is possible that this shabti comes from tomb 339 at Deir el-Medineh in Western Thebes. The tomb was discovered by Bernard Bruyère in 1929 (Rapports préliminaires Deir el Médineh, Cairo, 1930, p. 89, 92), from where blue faience shabtis bearing the same dedication were recovered. Traditionally, chantresses were female performers who acted as dancers and rhythmic musicians. Like Nes-Khnosu, many were associated with temples and played significant roles in religious festivals.

Turquoise-blue faience amulet of a vervet monkey standing with its long arms extended to the hips, supported on an integral base by its tail; suspension loop at the back. 1.52 grams, 27 mm



From a private collection acquired by the previous owner's father in the 1950s. Ex TimesAncient, Bristol, UK. Accompanied by a copy of a previous catalogue entry. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Amulets featuring the vervet monkey were believed to serve as magical sexual aids for the living and the dead, ensuring these benefits in life and the afterlife.

Large wedjat-eye amulet with incised human and falcon elements. 11.7 grams, 38 mm



From the private collection of the late Mrs Belinda Ellison, a long time member of the Egyptian Exploration Society, c.1940-2020. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

The wedjat-eye amulet is a representation of the healed eye of the god Horus, featuring both human and falcon elements. The name wedjat in ancient Egyptian means ‘the one that is sound.’ According to Egyptian mythology, Horus' eye was wounded or taken by the god Seth and restored by Thoth. The wedjat-eye amulet was thought to protect its wearer and bestow the power of recovery and regeneration onto them. It was very popular and used by both the living and the dead.