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LOT 0533
Egyptian Stone Scarab
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
1 1/8 in. (17 grams, 29 mm).
Dark green hardstone with paler speckles; with a boldly carved head, clypeus, prothorax and elytra, and legs indicated at the sides; plain underside.
ProvenanceEx Irene Newman, Birdham, Chichester, West Sussex, England.
with Stride & Son Auctioneers, Chichester, West Sussex, England, 23 April 2015, no.1599 [Part].
Acquired by the present owner at the above sale.
Cf. Schulz, R., Seidel, M., Egyptian Art. The Walters Art Museum, Oakville, 2007, pl.18, cat. no. 126, for a similar example.
FootnotesThe scarab, which represented the dung beetle, was the most popular amulet in ancient Egypt for approximately two thousand years until the Ptolemaic Period when it gradually fell out of favour. The popularity of scarabs extended beyond the borders of Egypt, and they were also distributed and produced in other regions, such as Phoenicia and Israel. The beetle is named khepri, derived from the verb 'to come into existence', and was considered the embodiment of the creator god Khepri, who was self-engendered. The ancient Egyptians mistakenly believed that the young beetle emerging from the dung ball was the result of an act of self-creation.
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LOT 0533
Egyptian Stone Scarab
Estimate £500 - 700€580 - 810 (for guidance only)$680 - 950 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Alabaster Vase
New Kingdom, circa 1550-1315 B.C. or earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £156
Round in profile with flattened underside, squared rim (possibly incomplete); with old collector's manuscript note: 'Old Kingdom between 3000-1200 B.C.'. 52 grams, 39 mm
Ex Yorkshire, UK, collection, 1960s-1980s. Accompanied by an old handwritten identification slip. -
Large Egyptian Translucent Carnelian Heart Amulet
New Kingdom, circa 1550-1070 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
Carved with lateral triangular lugs and ribbed bale. 4.6 grams, 24 mm
From an early 20th century collection.
According to ancient Egyptian beliefs, the heart (ib) was considered to be the centre of intelligence, emotions, and behaviour. The heart was also believed to store an individual's memories. During the Weighing of the Heart ceremony in the afterlife, the heart could speak up for the deceased and account for their lifetime of actions before Osiris. For this reason, heart amulets were placed on the mummy to safeguard the organ and ensure a favourable outcome during judgment. -
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Romano-Egyptian Terracotta Votive Figure of Eros
1st-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,222
Depicted nude in a dynamic pose with his legs apart and the weight of the body upon his right leg, standing in front of a two storey structure, probably an oven; his left arm raised and right arm extended in front of his torso and resting on the edge of the structure; the oven painted pink at the top and white at the bottom with an offering receptacle at floor level. 232 grams, 15 cm
Ex Dr Daniel Marie Fouquet (1859-1914), Cairo. with Pierre Berge & Associes, Auction, Archaeology 29 November 2014, no.193. Accompanied by a French cultural export permit, no.161028. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant pages in: Perdrizet, P., Les Terres Cuites Grecques d'Egypt de la Collection Fouquet, Nancy, 1921, where it is published. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12000-211884.
The image of the ‘Eros Baker’ is part of a wide production of Roman terracotta imitating Greek models, although in somewhat crude way. In the Roman age, designs tended to be commonplace and were often indifferent copies of Greek originals. However, the production of terracotta in Hellenistic Egypt continued without interruption and the most subjects of these votive statuettes (in this case probably a baker invoking the blessing of the god upon his activity) were religious, Eros being one of the favourites.
