Loading, please wait...

Egyptian Wooden Djed Pillar Amulet Egyptian Wooden Djed Pillar Amulet Egyptian Wooden Djed Pillar Amulet
Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge
Details

LOT 0030

Egyptian Wooden Djed Pillar Amulet

SAITE PERIOD, 7TH-5TH CENTURY B.C.

6 3/4 in. (106 grams, 17 cm high).

Finely-made amuletic djed pillar; old collector's accession number 'E.436' to underside; mounted on a custom-made display stand.

Provenance

with ink inscribed 'E.436' to base.
Acquired in 1970.
Ex private European collection.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11602-199041.

Footnotes

The djed pillar symbolises stability and is usually understood to be the spine of the god Ptah although its origins are more probably in cult practices involving sheaves of reeds which were revered due to the general absence of trees from the Egyptian landscape. The djed later came to be symbolise Seker, the falcon god of Memphis and Ptah, the Memphite god of craftsmen, who carried a sceptre formed as a combination of the djed and the ankh. The cult of Ptah waned and gave way to that of Osiris so that by the New Kingdom (16th century B.C.), the djed had become associated with Osiris, part of whose cult included a ceremony for raising the djed representing Osiris's triumph over Seth.

CONDITION
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.

LOT 0030

Egyptian Wooden Djed Pillar Amulet

Estimate £1,500 - 2,000€1,740 - 2,320 (for guidance only)$2,030 - 2,700 (for guidance only)

Print page

RELATED LOTS
  • Egyptian Wooden Shabti Box Lid
    Egyptian Wooden Shabti Box Lid
    Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.

    Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £1,000

    Rectangular lid fragment with rounded upper corners, plano-convex in section; painted image of two jackals representing Anubis, the god of embalming, crouching above rectangular frames, probably tombs, with a sceptre held in its forepaws; remains of fixing pegs to the reverse. 268 grams, 26.5 cm wide



    J.H.H. Claessen (1926-2006), Bladel, Netherlands. Acquired by the present owner from the above. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11944-209616.

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Gold God Bastet Cat Amulet
    Egyptian Gold God Bastet Cat Amulet
    Late New Kingdom, 1070-900 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £650

    Modelled seated on a tongue-shaped base, with simple facial detailing and suspension loop to the back. 0.52 grams, 8 mm



    From an early 20th century French collection.

    The goddess Bastet was believed to be the daughter of the sun god and was shown with the features of a lion up until about 1000 B.C. when she was portrayed as a cat or human with a cat head. As the daughter of Ra she was associated with the rage inherent in the sun god's eye which was considered to be his instrument of vengeance. Her development into a cat goddess occurred during the New Kingdom but did not fully develop until the Late Period. She was still associated with the destructive power of the sun and was shown on the prow of the solar boat, decapitating the evil serpent Apophis in the Book of the Dead. The maternal, protective and hunting characteristics of the cat are obvious in Bastet and she was seen as a protector of pregnant women and young children. In the Pyramid Texts she is invoked by the deceased king to act as his protector and to help him reach the sky to join the sun god; the king proclaims that Bastet is his mother and nurse. Like her counterpart, Sekhmet, Bastet has an aggressive side and, in a text from Karnak, Amenhotep II described his enemies being slaughtered like the victims of Bastet. The goddess had a shrine at Karnak, where she is known as the 'Lady of Asheru' which aligns her closely with the goddess Mut, the consort of Amun-Ra. Her most famous shrine was in the north-east Delta region, at Bubastis, and was known as Per-Bastet or 'the House of Bastet.' Herodotus describes the festival of Bastet as one of the most elaborate in all of Egypt and identifies her with the Greek Artemis. Cemeteries of cats have been excavated at Bubastis and at Saqqara and Memphis.

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Limestone Bust of a Male Dignitary
    Egyptian Limestone Bust of a Male Dignitary
    New Kingdom, 13th-12th century B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340

    Carved male bust with a short-sleeved robe and tiered shebyu jewelled collar, striated wig; mounted on a custom-made plinth. 855 grams total, 21 cm high including stand



    From an old UK collection. With Coincraft since the 1990s. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Alberto Maria Pollastrini. Accompanied by a master copy of the Coincraft catalogue BCF 76, where this object is offered for £2,950.00. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11946-209473.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list