Egypto-Phoenician Haematite Scaraboid Seal

Carved alabaster figure of a baboon, crouching with his forepaws resting on his knees, tail curled around from the rear; cartouche dedicated to Queen Tiye at the chest as a later addition. 1.06 kg, 15.4 cm



From the private collection of Dr Athanasios Ghertsos, Zurich, by at least 1970. Private collection of Hermann A. Schlögl (1932-2023), Basel. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S00261724. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13073-248325.

In ancient Egypt, baboons were sacred, representing wisdom, the moon, and the underworld, linked to gods like Thoth and Babi, often depicted greeting the sun or guarding tombs, and were imported, mummified as offerings, and used as powerful religious symbols despite their often harsh captive conditions. The aforementioned Tiye is the wife of Sethnakht, the founder of the 20th Dynasty, and not to be confused with the wife of Amenhotep III. All monuments bearing her name originate from Abydos, where her son Ramesses III built a temple for his parents.

Plano-convex in section with scarab detailing to the upper face; underside with hieroglyphic inscription; pierced longitudinally. 2.22 grams, 17 mm



Ex Constable collection, 1990s. Ex P. Morris collection.

Pale yellow, turquoise, and blue faience seated cat figures, each shown on a base plinth and with a suspension loop behind the head. 83 grams total, 47-52 mm including stands



Collection of a Lady, circa 1940. From a specialist collection.

In ancient Egypt, the cat was revered as the sacred animal of the goddess Bastet, whose main cult centre was Bubastis in the Nile Delta. Although cats were once part of folk customs, their formal worship expanded across Egypt during the Late Period. Bastet was closely connected to lion-headed goddesses such as Sekhmet, Tefnut, and Pakhet, and the cat itself became linked to solar imagery: the Book of the Dead depicts the sun god as a Great Cat defeating Apophis beneath the sacred Ished Tree. The cat could also represent the Eye of the Sun or, more commonly in Bastet’s case, the Eye of the Moon. Mummified cats were often offered as votive offerings, and some were decorated with finely crafted bronze heads to emphasise their divine likeness.