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LOT 0060
Egyptian Stone Head
COPTIC, CIRCA 6TH CENTURY A.D.
11 1/2 in. (2.92 kg total, 29 cm wide including stand).
Stylised face with broad surrounding hood with corrugated texture to the outer face; lentoid face with reserved almond eyes, D-section nose and slit mouth; with arc of drilled holes around the inner edge of the hood to accept inset ornaments, more holes to the forehead, eyes, cheeks and chin; mounted on a custom-made stand. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000.
From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
Cf. similar head of less refined workmanship in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, under accession no.25.10.20.58.
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 Faience Fish Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Tilapia fish modelled in the round; tail restored. 3.20 grams, 43 mm
From the collection of Doctor Girard, a collector for over 60 years. with Hotel des Ventes de Clermont-Ferrand, 22 May 2017. Property of a French collector.
This amulet represents a ‘Tilapia nilotica’ or ‘bolti’, a prevalent fish species found in the Nile. Not only was it esteemed for its delicious taste, but it was also revered as a symbol of rebirth and resurrection due to its unique ability to carry its eggs in its mouth, suggesting self-creation. -
Egyptian Hardstone Tawaret Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
Modelled in the round as a standing hippopotamus (Tawaret) figure on a rectangular base with loop to the rear. 1.98 grams, 24 mm
From the collection of Doctor Girard, a collector for over 60 years. with Hotel des Ventes de Clermont-Ferrand, 22 May 2017. Property of a French collector.
The goddess Tawaret was a female hippopotamus with the arms and legs of a lion and the back and tail of a crocodile. Despite her fearsome appearance, Tawaret was a household deity and protector of women in childbirth. -
Egyptian Hardstone Amulet Group
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Comprising: a melon bead; double plume with inked collector's reference to the reverse 'ES.7'. 3.61 grams total, 14-23 mm
Left Amulet: Brought by missionaries in the 19th century. Acquired in 1962. Ex Haeberlin collection. From a North German private collection E.S. with Gorny Mosch, Munich, Germany, 16 December 2015, 828 (Part) Right Amulet: From the collection of Doctor Girard, a collector for over 60 years. with Hotel des Ventes de Clermont-Ferrand, 22 May 2017. Property of a French collector.