Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0027
Egyptian Thoth as an Ibis with Maat
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 332-30 B.C.
1 1/2 in. (9.15 grams, 37 mm).
A blue-glazed composition amulet in the form of an ibis (representing the god Thoth) seated on a wedge-shaped base, facing a figure of Maat appearing as a diminutive stooping female with an ostrich feather; some details to both figures rendered in a darker blue glaze; suspension loop to the rear of the bird's neck.
Provenance
Acquired from Dr Jan Beekmans, circa 1984.
UK private collection.
Literature
Cf. The Metropolitan Museum, New York, accession number 26.7.873, for similar; cf. The Saint Louise Art Museum, object number 818:1940, for a very similar parallel.
Footnotes
Maat and the moon god Thoth, husband and wife, together embody wisdom and cosmic order. As a divine couple, they served the sun god, Re.
Like Thoth, the ancient Egyptians connected the ibis with the moon, owing to its crescent moon-shaped beak. The ibis was well known in antiquity for its refusal to drink unhealthy and poisoned water, or to kill poisonous reptiles, and set mankind an example of cleanliness; thus, like the god Thoth, the ibis offered protection against dangerous forces and served as a model for purity and good sense. Maat embodies the order that Thoth protects. Her symbol, an ostrich feather, references a bird that inhabits desert and savannah habitats, although it must never wander too far away from rivers and lakes. The ostrich cannot fly, but it is a fast runner and a strong fighter.
VETTING:
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Egyptian Seated Falcon Amulet
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
A carved carnelian amuletic pendant of the falcon god Horus, sitting on a rectangular base; suspension loop behind the shoulders. 1.65 grams, 17 mm
Acquired 1980s. Private collection of L.H., Staffordshire, UK. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher. -
Egyptian Veined Alabaster Footed Cup
New Kingdom, 1550-1070 B.C.Estimate: £180 - 240 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
A piriform veined alabaster cup with everted rim and small foot. 56.7 grams, 57 mm high
Fine condition.
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Egyptian Pale Blue Shabti for an Imy-Khent Priest
Late Period, 30th Dynasty, circa 380-343 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,820
A pale blue glazed mummiform shabti for an Imy-Khent priest, modelled standing on a rectangular base, arms crossed over the chest and holding a pick and a hoe, seed bag over the left shoulder, wearing a tripartite wig and false beard; two vertical columns of hieroglyphs to the front of the body, plain dorsal pillar; some of the hieroglyphs spelling the owner's name are poorly rendered, but appears to be Ba-ankh-sa-sobeky. 99 grams, 13.5 cm high
From a Worcester deceased estate. Property of a Cambridgeshire gentleman. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan.
Although the name of the shabti’s owner and, in particular, that of his parent, are rather unclear, the titles are clearly written and inform us that Ba-ankh-sa-sobeky served as an ‘Imy-khent priest’ associated with the Delta city of Mendes, where the principal deity was the sacred ram god Ba-neb-djedet (meaning ‘Ram, lord of Djedet’). The hieroglyph of the standing ram (Ba) forms the first part of the priest’s name. From the Late Period onwards the priestly title of the nearby city of Hermopolis Parva, ‘One who Separates the Two Gods’, also appears in Mendesian title strings, perhaps indicating that Hermopolis Parva and its religious cults had come under the control of Mendes; indeed, Mendes is thought to have been the capital of Egypt during the 29th Dynasty. The crocodile god Sobek was also worshipped at Mendes in later periods and Ba-ankh-sa-sobeky’s name appears to reflect both this reptilian deity and the traditional ram god of the city.
