Egyptian Steatite Heart Scarab

Globular body with short socket and thickened rim; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 457 grams total, mace: 60 mm high



Ex Norman Fargo collection. with Olympia Auctions, 26 June 2024, no.119. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Norman Fargo was born in Los Angeles, California in 1945, the son of Hungarian immigrant Frank and his wife, Rose. His lifelong passion for collecting began at the age of six with a simple interest in rocks. By the 1960s, Norman had become a dedicated student of antique arms and armour, developing a deep appreciation for both craftsmanship and historical context. He began collecting at a time when many items now considered rare were still relatively accessible. A friendship with renowned collector Howard Curtis—whose important collection was partially sold at Christie’s, London in 1984—opened doors to early and exceptional material. Norman also acquired outstanding pieces from respected figures such as Frank Bivens and others known today through museum and auction catalogue provenance. Alongside his core collection of arms and armour (c.1450-1700), Norman developed an eye for period furniture and accessories. He also built a growing collection of Pre-Columbian art with an emphasis on Southern Mexican cultures, particularly Veracruz, as well as fine examples of Japanese Satsuma ware and cloisonné.

Mummiform figure with plain dorsal pillar, standing with arms crossed and holding agricultural implements, seedbag suspended over the left shoulder; wearing a tripartite wig and a false beard; repaired. 41.6 grams, 10.5 cm



Ex H Norri collection, Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire, UK, 1980s-1990s.

Pale yellow, turquoise, and blue faience seated cat figures, each shown on a base plinth and with a suspension loop behind the head. 83 grams total, 47-52 mm including stands



Collection of a Lady, circa 1940. From a specialist collection.

In ancient Egypt, the cat was revered as the sacred animal of the goddess Bastet, whose main cult centre was Bubastis in the Nile Delta. Although cats were once part of folk customs, their formal worship expanded across Egypt during the Late Period. Bastet was closely connected to lion-headed goddesses such as Sekhmet, Tefnut, and Pakhet, and the cat itself became linked to solar imagery: the Book of the Dead depicts the sun god as a Great Cat defeating Apophis beneath the sacred Ished Tree. The cat could also represent the Eye of the Sun or, more commonly in Bastet’s case, the Eye of the Moon. Mummified cats were often offered as votive offerings, and some were decorated with finely crafted bronze heads to emphasise their divine likeness.