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LOT 0034
Egyptian Turquoise Glazed Faience Amulet of Imsety
LATE PERIOD, CIRCA 664-332 B.C.
1 3/8 in. (3.66 grams, 36 mm).
Flat-backed depiction of Imsety, one of the four sons of Horus, wearing a finely detailed tripartite wig, a broad collar, and holding a length of folded cloth.
Provenancewith Ancient World Arts, New York, USA.
Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above in 1994.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, fig. 50, for a similarly detailed example.
FootnotesThe Four Sons of Horus were deities responsible for protecting the deceased's internal organs. The human-headed Imsety protected the liver, the baboon-headed Hapy protected the lungs, the jackal-headed Duamutef protected the stomach, and the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef protected the intestines. Amulets depicting these deities were placed within the mummy wrappings.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Turquoise Glazed Seated Harpocrates
Late Period, 26th Dynasty, circa 664-525 B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
The god in a semi-seated pose with sidelock and uraeus; mounted on a custom-made stand. 10 grams total, 52 mm including stand
Collection de Son Excellence Mandou Riaz (1895-1963). Archéologie, François de Ricqlès, Paris, 11-12 November 2001, no.186. Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above sale. Accompanied by a copy of the François de Ricqlès invoice. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
While the semi-seated pose of the figurine may imply that it was part of a composite statuette, possibly featuring a separately modelled throne or seated on the lap of his mother, Isis, independent amulets with suspension loops depicting the god in this pose are also prevalent. Harpocrates is the Greek rendering of the Egyptian Hor-pa-khered, which translates as ‘Horus the Child’. This designation refers to Horus as the divine infant of Isis and Osiris. Wearing the amulet of Harpocrates could grant the wearer the same protection that Isis provided to her beloved son. -
Egyptian Faience Shabti for Hor-sa-Iset
Late Period, circa 4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £975
Of mummiform type, wearing a tripartite wig and long plaited divine beard; holding a pick in the left hand, a hoe in the right, and the cord of a seed bag hanging over his left shoulder; standing on an integral plinth, a plain back pillar terminating at the base of the wig; two vertical panels of hieroglyphic inscription to the front, including dedication: sḥḏ wsỉr ḥr sꜢ Ꜣst, ‘The illuminated, the Osiris, Hor-sa-Iset’; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 124 grams, 15.2 cm
Jacques René Fiechter, Switzerland (1920-1950). with Auction Martin, Egyptian collection of André Bircher, 1949. with Cahn Auktionen AG, Basel, 5 November 2011, no.20. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Cahn catalogue pages. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Bronze Bastet Cat Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
Modelled in the round as a seated cat on an oblong base, large pointed ears with a notch behind them. 14 grams, 30 mm
Private collection, 1970s. Private collection, 2017. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
In ancient times, the cat was revered as the sacred animal of the goddess Bastet, who was worshipped in Bubastis, located in the Nile Delta. She was a protective mother goddess and the daughter of the sun god Re. Amulets provided the wearer with the goddess's protection.