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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.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Stone Scarab
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Dark green hardstone with paler speckles; with a boldly carved head, clypeus, prothorax and elytra, and legs indicated at the sides; plain underside. 17 grams, 29 mm
Ex 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.
The 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. -
Egyptian Bronze Figure of Osiris
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,980
Solid cast mummiform figure standing on an integral plinth; the god cloaked in a tight-fitting shroud, sporting the ostrich-plumed atef crown with uraeus, divine beard, and holding the characteristic crook and flail regalia; traces of gilding remain; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 811 grams total, 21 cm including stand
Private collection, 19th century, thence by descent. Private collection, Neuchâtel. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12195-222135.
Osiris is a deity who represents death and fertility and is commonly regarded as the quintessential god of rebirth. Though he was once a mortal ruler, as a deceased entity, his domain was the Underworld. Abydos was the primary centre of Osiris’s cult, where a renowned yearly celebration of the god was held. -
Egyptian Stone Scarab
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £572
Black hardstone scarab with finely carved head, eyes, clypeus, prothorax, elytra, and legs; plain underside. 38 grams, 48 mm
Ex 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.
The 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.