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LOT 0003
Egyptian Wooden Funerary Shabti Figurine
NEW KINGDOM, CIRCA 1570-1070 B.C.
5 3/4 in. (39 grams, 14.5 cm).
Carved in the round as a mummiform figure, with a carefully modelled tripartite wig, a rounded face, large eyes, and a subtly simpering expression.
ProvenanceEx R. Liechti (1934-2010) Geneva, Switzerland, formed between 1950-1990s.
with Liechti stock number 'E.825' to base.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12079-218221.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Schlögl, H. & Brodbeck, A., Ägyptische Totenfiguren aus öffentlichen und privaten sammlungen der Schweiz, Göttingen, 1990, p. 104, no. 43, for similar.
FootnotesA shabti (also known as ushabti or shawabti) is a small funerary figurine found in ancient Egyptian tombs, from around 2000 BCE to 30 BCE. Its main purpose was to act as a servant for the deceased in the afterlife, carrying out manual tasks like farming or irrigation as directed by the gods. Shabtis were frequently inscribed with a magical formula from the Book of the Dead to ensure they would animate when summoned.
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LOT 0003
Egyptian Wooden Funerary Shabti Figurine
Estimate £1,200 - 1,700€1,390 - 1,970 (for guidance only)$1,620 - 2,300 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Mummy Shroud Section with Hieratic Text
Late-Ptolemaic Period, circa 480-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
A narrow strip of woven linen textile featuring two lines of neatly written hieratic text in black. 3.74 grams, 40 cm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
From the fifth century B.C., mummy wrappings often feature hieratic script—a cursive form of Egyptian hieroglyphs used for daily and religious texts. These include excerpts from funerary works like the Book of the Dead, alongside prayers meant to protect the deceased in the afterlife. Often with vignettes, these texts were inscribed directly on linen strips during the mummification. Some bandages were notably long; one from Brussels, 6.2 cm wide, measures an incredible 26 metres. -
Phoenician Inscribed Bronze Scaraboid Seal
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Opening Bid: £50
Scaraboid featuring a grooved band across the upper face and an incuse schematic human figure with enigmatic symbols on the underside. 3.1 grams, 13.46 mm
Ex London, UK, gentleman, 1990. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Romano-Egyptian Faience Melon Bead Collection
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