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LOT 0528
Egypto-Phoenician Hardstone Scarab Group
LATE 1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
1/2 - 1 in. (1.97 grams total, 14-26 mm).
Comprising five scarabs: one with a djed pillar surrounded by nwb signs; one with a jackal-headed Anubis holding a staff before a figure, with the scales of Maat above; one with a seated baboon sporting a crescent and sun disc headdress facing a royal cartouche of Thutmose III men-kheper-Re; one with a standing bird and other hieroglyphs; the largest one with worn underside. [5]
ProvenanceFrom an early 20th century Home Counties, UK, collection.
FootnotesThe scarab, which represented the dung beetle, was the most popular amulet in ancient Egypt for approximately two thousand years until the Ptolemaic Period when it gradually fell out of favour. The popularity of scarabs extended beyond the borders of Egypt, and they were also distributed and produced in other regions, such as Phoenicia and Israel. The beetle is named khepri, derived from the verb 'to come into existence', and was considered the embodiment of the creator god Khepri, who was self-engendered. The ancient Egyptians mistakenly believed that the young beetle emerging from the dung ball was the result of an act of self-creation.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Blue Glazed Bastet Amulet
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, circa 1504-1452 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
Modelled resting on a rectangular base, with fur-texture detailing and hieroglyph to the underside. 2.01 grams, 17.59 mm
From an old Suffolk, UK, collection. Acquired in the UK before 1980. From the personal collection of Derek Rogers, Suffolk, UK.
The cat was sacred to Bastet, a protective mother goddess and the daughter of the sun god Re. Amulets provided the wearer with the goddess's protection. Her name means ‘she of the bast [ointment jar],’ which may have contained a substance favoured by or exclusive to royalty. Originally, Bastet was depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, but by the New Kingdom, she was typically depicted with a cat's head. She is sometimes shown with kittens, emphasising her maternal role as a fierce protector of offspring. -
Egyptian Limestone 'Floral' Inlay Group
Roman Period, 30 B.C.-323 A.D. or earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £46
Group of discoid inlay plaques or gaming counters, crinoids with cinquefoil motif. 33 grams total, 13-18 mm
From a central London ADA dealership, 1980-1990.
Flowers were symbolic of rebirth due to the daily reopening of their petals after nightfall. As a result, they were widely used in domestic settings, religious and funerary contexts, and as adornments. Similar rosette discs, like those recovered from the Ramesside Period palace at Qantir, were used as decorative elements in royal palaces. -
Egyptian Gold Mounted Scarab Bead
Middle Kingdom-Second Intermediate Period, circa 1900-1560 B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Comprising a faience scarab with a scroll-work border framing the vertically arranged hieroglyphs: kheper beetle, nwb sign for gold, and two nfr signs flanking an ankh sign, set in a gold funda with tubular collars. 3.36 grams, 20 mm
From an early 20th century Home Counties, UK, collection.
