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LOT 0468
Egyptian Stone Scarab
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
1 7/8 in. (38 grams, 48 mm).
Black hardstone scarab with finely carved head, eyes, clypeus, prothorax, elytra, and legs; 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.124, for a similar example.
FootnotesThe scarab, representing the dung beetle, was a popular amulet in ancient Egypt for about two thousand years until the Ptolemaic Period. It extended beyond Egypt and was exported to and manufactured in regions like Phoenicia and Israel. The beetle is named khepri and was considered the embodiment of the creator god Khepri. The Egyptians believed that the beetle emerging from the dung ball was an act of self-creation.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Black Stone Kohl Vessel
Middle Kingdom, circa 1991-1665 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £572
Squat in profile with integral discoid base, broad discoid rim to the mouth. 190 grams, 53 mm wide
Swiss collection, acquired in 1998.
Such vessels contained kohl, an eyepaint either green or black. Kohl was used as a cosmetic in daily life, mentioned in funerary texts as necessary make-up in the presentation of the deceased before Osiris, and served as a medical treatment for eye ailments. The small size of kohl jars and their tiny capacity indicate the preciousness and costliness of the contents. -
Egyptian Bronze Statue of a Kneeling Priest
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £150
Kneeling on a rectangular platform with a wide apron covering his thighs, clean-shaven head and hands raised in adoration; tang on the underside for attachment; mounted on a display stand. 41 grams total, statue: 30 mm high
From an early 20th century Home Counties, UK, collection.
Priest figurines like this were commonly placed before a larger deity figurine, both attached to a base, e.g., Schulz, R., Seidel, M., Egyptian Art. The Walters Art Museum, London, 2009, for a kneeling priest before a standing figure of Anubis. -
Egyptian Lapis Lazuli Son of Horus Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
Carved amulet of the baboon-headed mummiform figure of Hapy shown standing with dorsal pillar, pierced for suspension. 2.52 grams, 28 mm
Private collection of Mr S.A., Switzerland, 1990s, thence by descent.
The Four Sons of Horus were deities responsible for protecting the internal organs of the deceased. The baboon-headed Hapy protected the lungs.
