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LOT 0546
Egyptian Steatite Scarab Group
MAINLY SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD-NEW KINGDOM, CIRCA 1600-1069 B.C.
3/8 - 3/4 in. (11.2 grams total, 9-19 mm).
Designs include: a line border enclosing the name of Amenhotep III and the epithet ‘Ruler of Thebes’; a line border enclosing a central shrine-like motif containing a sa and nefer sign, flanked by mirrored djed, ro, and nefer signs; a line border enclosing a bark, sun disc, wedjat, and neb signs; a Line border enclosing two facing falcons flanked by rearing cobras and a nwb (gold) sign above; a line border enclosing the phrase ‘powerful is the justice of Re’ (user-Maat-Re), which formed part of the throne name of several Ramesside pharaohs. [5]
ProvenanceAcquired on the European art market in the early 2000s.
with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Carnelian Fly Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Carved with ribbed body and eye detailing; drilled through the body for suspension. 0.34 grams, 10 mm
Ex London, UK, 1990s. 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. -
Egyptian Glass Panel with Eyes
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £250 - 350 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £125
Irregular glass panel fragment with mosaic eye motifs inlaid; repaired. 1.57 grams, 18 mm
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. -
Egyptian Carnelian Cat Amulet
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £286
Amuletic pendant of the cat goddess Bastet, sitting on a rectangular base, suspension loop behind the shoulders. 1.82 grams, 16 mm
Acquired 1990s. Property of a Staffordshire lady collector. Ex Quercus of Quonians, Lichfield, UK, 2018. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher. Private collection, London. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The cat was sacred to Bastet, a protective mother goddess and the daughter of the sun god Re. Amulets provided the wearer with the goddess's protection. Her name means ‘she of the bast [ointment jar],’ which may have contained a substance favoured by or exclusive to royalty. Originally, Bastet was depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, but by the late New Kingdom, she was typically depicted with a cat's head. She is sometimes shown with kittens, emphasising her maternal role as a fierce protector of offspring.
