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LOT 0526
Egyptian Steatite Scarab with Hieroglyphs
NEW KINGDOM, CIRCA 1300 B.C.
5/8 in. (2.09 grams, 15 mm).
A scarab with detailing to the upper face; the underside inscribed with hieroglyphs writing the name of Amun-Re, accompanied by a wab sign on the left and neb sign below; pierced longitudinally. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx Constable collection, 1990s.
Ex P. Morris collection.
Cf. Newberry, P.E., Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire N° 36001-37521, Scarab-shaped Seals, Cairo, 1907, p. 347 (CG37384), pl. XII, for a scarab with the same base design.
CONDITIONTimeLine 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:
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Egyptian Carnelian Fly Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
With detailing to wings and body, loop for suspension above the head. 0.33 grams, 12 mm
Ex H Norri collection, Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire, UK, 1980s-1990s.
Although flies might seem like mere nuisances, the ancient Egyptians admired them for their speed, agility, and persistence. Fly-shaped amulets, first appearing in Naqada II burials around 3200 B.C., became particularly popular during the New Kingdom and afterwards. Made from materials such as gold, silver, faience, lapis lazuli, and bone, they served apotropaic functions, protecting against bites and warding off pests. Some may have also symbolised fertility. Gold fly pendants were even awarded by pharaohs to honour soldiers’ bravery and tenacity. -
Phoenician Limestone Funerary Mask
Circa 4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,950
Carved in the half-round with tall nose and chin with false beard dua wer, full lips and wide cheeks, stylised eyes and asymmetrical eyebrows; mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.3 kg total, 19.7 cm including stand
Private collection, Europe. Acquired on the French art market. -
Egyptian Faience Ushabti
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,106
Mummiform figure with black-pigment facial detailing, sidelock, tripartite wig, dorsal seed-net, tiered collar, and vertical panel of hieroglyphic text. 134 grams, 15 cm
Acquired in the mid 1980s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12848-241648.
A shabti (also known as ushabti or shawabti) is a small funerary figurine found in ancient Egyptian tombs, from around 2000 BCE to 30 BCE. Its main purpose was to act as a servant for the deceased in the afterlife, carrying out manual tasks like farming or irrigation as directed by the gods. Shabtis were frequently inscribed with a magical formula from the Book of the Dead to ensure they would animate when summoned.
