Loading, please wait...
LOT 0067
Egyptian Wooden Shabti
NEW KINGDOM, 19TH DYNASTY, CIRCA 1292-1185 B.C.
8 1/2 in. (140 grams, 21.5 cm).
Carved in the round in a typical mummiform shape with hands crossed on the chest, wearing a tripartite wig with long, splayed lappets; collector's number to base 'E.803'.
ProvenancePrivate collection, acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s; thence by descent.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.13228-249321.
Cf. Schlögl, H., and Brodbeck, A., Ägyptische Totenfiguren aus öffentlichen und privaten sammlungen der Schweiz, Göttingen, 1990, p. 116, no. 53, for a similar example.
FootnotesA shabti (or ushabti) is a small funerary figurine from ancient Egyptian tombs, dating from around 2000 BCE to 30 BCE. Its main purpose was to assist the deceased in the afterlife by performing tasks like farming. Shabtis were often inscribed with a magical formula from the Book of the Dead to ensure they would come to life when needed.
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:
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 0067
Egyptian Wooden Shabti
Estimate £6,000 - 8,000€6,960 - 9,280 (for guidance only)$8,100 - 10,800 (for guidance only)
-
Egyptian Gold Necklace with Harpocrates Pendant
Roman Period, 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £7,500
Gold chain of double-looped links terminating in corrugated end elements, with hook-and-eye clasp; suspension ring embellished with applied granulation and a ribbed loop; hollow-formed sheet-gold pendant in the round depicting Harpocrates seated, his right forefinger raised to his mouth, wearing a finely detailed nemes headdress surmounted by a complex hemhem, crown incorporating multiple hedjet elements, flanking uraei, and ram's horns. 49.80 grams, 40.5 cm
Ex Elie Boustros collection, Lebanon. Private collection, acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s; thence by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13203-249297.
The fully three-dimensional modelling of the pendant aligns it with a group of high-quality Roman-period Egyptian goldwork characterised by pronounced plasticity and sculptural ambition. A pertinent comparison may be drawn with the gold diadem depicting Serapis from the Dush Treasure, discovered concealed within the wall of a Roman fort in the Baris Oasis (Reddé, M., Douch IV. Le trésor de Douch, DFIFAO 28, Cairo, 1992). That assemblage, plausibly associated with a nearby temple of Serapis and Isis, demonstrates a similarly bold treatment of divine imagery in precious metal. Comparable small-scale representations of Harpocrates in gold - often amuletic in function - are known from Roman Egypt, though examples combining such intricate crown iconography with fully rounded modelling remain relatively rare. The present piece therefore occupies an interesting position between personal adornment and cultic or apotropaic object, reflecting both Alexandrian iconographic synthesis and provincial workshop virtuosity. Harpocrates is the Greek version of the Egyptian Hor-pa-khered, which means ‘Horus the Child’. This name refers to Horus as the divine infant of Isis and Osiris. Wearing an amulet of Harpocrates was believed to provide the same protection that Isis offered to her beloved son. -
Phoenician Faience Scaraboid with Patterns
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Anatomical detailing on the body and symbols on the underside. 0.9 grams, 15 mm
From a late Warwickshire numismatic collector, his collection formed from the early 1980s. -
Egyptian Faience Beads and Other Fragments
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Comprising annular and tubular beads, amber bead fragments, and others. 9.6 grams total, 1-23 mm
From an old English collection. Acquired from Brigantia, York, 1990s. Ian Wilkinson collection, Nottinghamshire, UK, formed since 1985.
