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LOT 0466
Egyptian White Faience Shabti
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 332-30 B.C.
3 in. (18 grams, 78 mm).
Modelled in the half-round with rounded facial features, lappet wig, false beard and crossed arms holding a pick and a hoe. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx H. Norry collection, 1980s-1990s.
LiteratureCf. Stewart, H.M., Egyptian Shabtis, Princes Risborough, 1995, item 32.
FootnotesOne 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.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Faience Amulet of an Ibis
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
An exquisitely modelled figure of a seated ibis on a trapezoidal-shaped plinth, with its beak resting on the slender feather of Maat; light turquoise glaze for the body, plinth, and feather; blue glaze for the tail feathers, feet and neck; head missing. 3.54 grams, 31 mm
with Bonhams, Knightsbridge, 3 October 2000, no.413. Private collection, Europe.
The ibis was considered sacred to the god Thoth. It is likely that the popularity of amulets depicting an ibis resting its beak on the feather of Maat in the funerary sphere is connected to Thoth's role as the recorder of the final judgment of the deceased by the divine tribunal. This tribunal determined if the deceased had lived a virtuous life and could enter the Underworld. This was visually represented by the deceased's heart placed on scales with the feather of Maat; if the heart and feather balanced, eternity was assured. -
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. -
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.
