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LOT 0515
Egyptian Turquoise Faience Amphora
ROMAN PERIOD, 1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
8 1/4 in. (2.2 kg, 21 cm wide).
A turquoise blue faience jar probably made in Roman Egypt, in a form similar to that of a Greek column krater, with a broad shoulder and rim, two angled strap handles with scalloped ends, band of raised scales to the shoulder, lotus leaves to the body and shoulder; restored.
ProvenanceAcquired on the European art market mid 1990s.
with Bonhams, Knightsbridge, 22 September 1998, lot 31.
with Bonhams, Knightsbridge, 22 April 1999, lot 641.
with Christie's, London, 18 October 2005, lot 10.
Previously with Mansour Gallery, London W1.
Property of a North West London gentleman.
Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Christie's and Bonhams catalogue pages.
Cf. The Metropolitan Museum, accession number 2021.41.171, for a very similar example; cf. Grimm, G., 'Two Early Imperial Faience Vessels from Egypt', in Thompson, D. (ed.), Miscellanea Wilbouriana 1, The Brooklyn Museum, New York, 1972, pp.71-100, fig.10, for a discussion of a vessel similar in style and almost identical in height (17cm) in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
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 Silver Cat Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Modelled seated on a tongue-shaped base, with fur detailing and suspension loop to the back. 1.58 grams, 12 mm
From an early 20th century collection.
The cat was sacred to Bastet, a protective mother goddess and the daughter of the sun god Re. Amulets provided the wearer with the goddess's protection. -
Egyptian Alabaster Alabastron with Vestigial Lug Handles
Late Period, circa 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £556
The elongated oval body on a flat base, with gently curving shoulder and two elegant duck-head shaped vestigial handles. 440 grams, 15.5 cm high
Mary Stout Shaw (1880-1962); thence by direct descent to the present owner. Accompanied by a copy of a 1976 family photo featuring some of the collection on display.
Mary Kilgour Stone was born in 1880 in Cincinnati, Ohio. On 25 November 1903, she married Percy Wyfold Stout from Gloucester (DSO, OBE, 1875-1937), who had moved to Cairo after an international rugby career. After fighting in the First World War, Percy became the Director of the Egyptian Delta Land Company and the Anglo-American Nile Tourist Company. He and Mary were friends with the famous Major Gayer-Anderson, who worked as a doctor on the company’s cruise boats between 1930 and 1939. Gayer-Anderson tells in his memoir how this allowed him to make frequent trips to Upper Egypt and fulfil his passion for collecting (and dealing in) ancient Egyptian art. In his company, Mary became an enthusiast about all things Egypt and formed an elegant collection of ancient Egyptian alabaster vessels, including the following lots. She was particularly fascinated with the ancient cat goddess Bastet. Therefore, when Gayer-Anderson decided to give his famous ancient bronze cat to the British Museum in 1939, he made sure the donation was in both his name and Mary Stout Shaw’s, as a tribute to their friendship. -
Egyptian White Faience Shabti
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Modelled in the half-round with rounded facial features, lappet wig, false beard and crossed arms holding a pick and a hoe. 18 grams, 78 mm
Ex H. Norry collection, 1980s-1990s.
One of the primary purposes of shabti figures was to carry out heavy manual tasks on behalf of a person in the afterlife, and they were often depicted with necessary implements in their hands, such as baskets, picks, and hoes. Over time, the number of shabtis in a standard elite burial increased, from one in the Eighteenth Dynasty to several in the Nineteenth Dynasty, to one for every day of the year by the Third Intermediate Period. The high number of shabtis remained a feature in the Late and Ptolemaic Periods.