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_900x900.jpg "Egyptian Wooden Mummy Mask")
_200x200.jpg "Egyptian Wooden Mummy Mask")
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LOT 0039
Egyptian Wooden Mummy Mask
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
15 1/4 in. (4.85 kg total, 38.8 cm high including stand).
Columnar in form with carved facial detailing, thick block of hair, full lips; pierced to reverse for attachment.
ProvenanceEnglish private collection, formed in the early 20th century.
Acquired on the English art market.
Cf. Dawson, J., Strudwick, H. (eds.), Death on the Nile: Uncovering the Afterlife of Ancient Egypt, London, 2016, p. 115, fig. 84, for a similar anthropoid coffin face with a similar dark finish in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
CONDITIONTimeLine 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:
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Egyptian Faience Bes Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Rectangular plaque with a head of Bes modelled in low relief on one side and symbols on the reverse; pierced longitudinally. 3.54 grams, 20 mm
Ex early 20th century collection, London, UK.
From the New Kingdom onwards, Bes became one of ancient Egypt's most popular apotropaic deities. Despite his somewhat fearsome appearance, Bes served as the patron and protector of pregnant women and children, and was also believed to shield them from snakes. Double-sided Bes amulets appear during the Third Intermediate Period and continued into the Late Period, possibly perpetuated in part by Levantine demand (Cf. Pierrat-Bonnefois, G., ”Les questions d'identité culturelle que soulèvent certaines faïences de la première moitié du Ier millénaire”, dans Bonadies, L., Chirpanlieva, I., Guillon, É. (dir.), Les Phéniciens, les Puniques et les autres. Échanges et identités en Méditerranée ancienne, Orient & Méditerranée 31, Paris, 2019, pp. 58-60, fig. 5b). -
Egyptian Steatite Bifacial Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
A double-sided rectangular amulet; one side features a central cartouche with the hieroglyphic name of the god “Amun” and a neb sign, flanked by two Maat feathers, all framed by a hatched border at the top and bottom; the other side depicts the reclining ram of Amun-Re with the seated figure of Maat in front, and the word "Amun" in hieroglyphs above the ram; drilled for suspension. 2.26 grams, 18 mm
Ex Constable collection, 1990s. Ex P. Morris collection.
An amulet with a similar overall design was discovered in a Ramesside-period tomb at Tell el-Retaba, an important production centre involved in trade with Syria-Palestine and protected by a fortress (Petrie, W.M.F., Duncan, J.G., Hyksos and Israelite Cities, London, 1906, pl. XXXIV, Tomb 8). -
Egyptian Carnelian Fly Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
With detailing to wings and body, loop for suspension above the head. 0.33 grams, 12 mm
Ex H Norri collection, Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire, UK, 1980s-1990s.
Although flies might seem like mere nuisances, the ancient Egyptians admired them for their speed, agility, and persistence. Fly-shaped amulets, first appearing in Naqada II burials around 3200 B.C., became particularly popular during the New Kingdom and afterwards. Made from materials such as gold, silver, faience, lapis lazuli, and bone, they served apotropaic functions, protecting against bites and warding off pests. Some may have also symbolised fertility. Gold fly pendants were even awarded by pharaohs to honour soldiers’ bravery and tenacity.
