Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0505
Egyptian Steatite Scarab Collection
MOSTLY LATE MIDDLE KINGDOM, SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD, 1780-1500 B.C.
1/2 - 1 1/8 in. (32.6 grams total, 15-28 mm).
Mixed group of design scarabs and scaraboids, including: stylised foliate motif with a sa sign; central entwined cords with curled tops and tails, and nefer signs; a falcon with outspread wings and sun disc above, surmounting a fallen enemy; a group of hieroglyphs: a central mes flanked by reed leaves, with a water sign n above, and a neb sign below; a falcon with outspread wings, with two maat feathers and stylised cobras above; a central hes vase flanked by rearing cobras. [7]
Provenance
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
VETTING:
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 Blue Faience Bead Group
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Comprising mainly long cylindrical beads with some larger beads. 7.7 grams total, 2-24 mm
Part of a group excavated by Petrie at Gurob, latterly in a London, UK, collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Glass Eye Inlay Pair
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
The sclera white and the iris black. 4.12 grams total, 27-29 mm
Acquired on the UK art market, 1977-1979. Private collection, London. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Egyptian coffin eye inlays were both decorative and symbolic, intended to make the coffin appear lifelike and assist the deceased in the afterlife. Typically, they featured a white sclera (glass, travertine, alabaster or quartz), a dark iris (glass or often obsidian), and sometimes red paint at the inner corner. The eyes were often set in bronze or copper frames, occasionally with faience or bronze eyebrows. -
Large Egyptian Steatite Scarab with Bes and Cartouches of Thutmose III
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
With segmented carapace, detailed legs and mouth, incuse image of Bes with plumed headdress to underside flanked by two cartouches, each bearing the throne name of Thutmose III (Men-kheper-Re); chipped. 26.3 grams, 39 mm
Ex London, UK, gentleman's collection, 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The royal name is incorrectly written, containing two sun discs rather than one, suggesting it may be of Levantine manufacture. Thutmose III, a dynamic New Kingdom pharaoh celebrated centuries after his death, frequently appears on scarabs during the Late Period. From the New Kingdom onwards, Bes became one of ancient Egypt's most popular apotropaic deities. Despite his fearsome appearance, Bes served as the patron and protector of pregnant women and children, and was also believed to shield them from snakes. The combination of Thutmose III and Bes harnessed both royal and divine protection.