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LOT 0034
Large Egyptian Bronze Wepwawet Amulet
THIRD INTERMEDIATE-LATE PERIOD, 1069-332 B.C.
3 1/2 in. (4 5/8 in.) (54 grams, 91 mm (162 grams total, 11.7 cm including stand )).
Showing the jackal deity Wepwawet standing with ears pricked on a sledge, the slender body modelled with long legs and a tail, suspension loop on the back; two rearing cobras before the jackal; mounted on a custom-made display stand.
ProvenanceEx Dr R. and Mrs L.B., Zumikon, Switzerland.
with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12627-236406.
Cf. Roeder, G., Ägyptische Bronzefiguren II, Berlin, 1956, pl. 49v, for a similar slender-bodied Wepwawet with rearing cobras and top suspension loop; Tiribilli, E., The bronze figurines of the Petrie Museum from 2000 BC to AD 400, GHP Egyptology 28, London, 2018, p. 182, no. 255, for a similar example with double cobras.
FootnotesWepwawet, meaning "Opener of the Ways," was an ancient Egyptian god associated primarily with warfare, protection, and funerary practices. Depicted as a jackal or a man with a jackal's head—often mistaken for Anubis—Wepwawet was believed to guide souls through the afterlife and open paths both in battle and in the spiritual realm.
He originated in Asyut (ancient Lycopolis) in Upper Egypt and was one of the oldest deities in the Egyptian pantheon, with worship dating back to at least the First Dynasty (c. 3100–2900 BCE). Over time, Wepwawet became closely linked to Anubis, and the two were sometimes conflated, though Wepwawet retained his distinct identity as a god who preceded and cleared the way.
In military contexts, Wepwawet was invoked to "open the way" for pharaohs and armies, ensuring victory and safe passage. In funerary texts, he was described as clearing the path to the afterlife, acting as a scout or guide for the deceased.
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LOT 0034
Large Egyptian Bronze Wepwawet Amulet
Estimate £3,500 - 4,500€4,060 - 5,220 (for guidance only)$4,730 - 6,080 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Gold Bastet Seated Cat Amulet
Late New Kingdom-Third Intermediate Period, circa 1069-900 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
Modelled seated on a tongue-shaped base, with simple facial detailing and suspension loop to the back. 0.51 grams, 8 mm
Ex French collection, early 20th century. From the collection of a late Japanese gentleman, 1970s onwards.
The goddess Bastet was believed to be the daughter of the sun god and was shown with the features of a lion up until about 1000 B.C. when she was first portrayed as a cat or human with a cat head. As the daughter of Ra she was associated with the rage inherent in the sun god's eye which was considered to be his instrument of vengeance. Her development into a cat goddess occurred during the New Kingdom but did not fully develop until the Late Period. She was still associated with the destructive power of the sun and was shown on the prow of the solar boat, decapitating the evil serpent Apophis in the Book of the Dead. The maternal, protective and hunting characteristics of the cat are obvious in Bastet and she was seen as a protector of pregnant women and young children. In the Pyramid Texts she is invoked by the deceased king to act as his protector and to help him reach the sky to join the sun god; the king proclaims that Bastet is his mother and nurse. Like her counterpart, Sekhmet, Bastet has an aggressive side and, in a text from Karnak, Amenhotep II described his enemies being slaughtered like the victims of Bastet. The goddess had a shrine at Karnak, where she is known as the 'Lady of Asheru' which aligns her closely with the goddess Mut, the consort of Amun-Ra. Her most famous shrine was in the north-east Delta region, at Bubastis, and was known as Per-Bastet or 'the House of Bastet.' Herodotus describes the festival of Bastet as one of the most elaborate in all of Egypt and identifies her with the Greek Artemis. Cemeteries of cats have been excavated at Bubastis and at Saqqara and Memphis. -
Egyptian Coptic Textile Fragment
Circa 7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Large fragment of tapestry, comprising two segmenta, in red granate wool and coarse linen, on green wool background, S-Z torsion, embroidered with stylised birds, palmettes and other vegetal ornaments, the borders of both segmenta decorated with meanders. 103 grams total including package, 31 cm
Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.
This fabric was probably part of a wall tapestry or of a large garment. In 7th century A.D., the stylisation was always more evident on the embroidery of the Coptic textiles, especially when the Arab conquest banned the imagery of the Graeco-Roman world. The decoration was mostly concentrated on geometric ornaments or images of stylised animals. -
Egyptian Amulet Bead Collection
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Group of amuletic beads and pendants including a wedjat-eye, Horus in falcon form, a seated Bastet, Bes playing a tambourine, and other types. 3.3 grams total, 8-19.5 mm
with Archaeologia, Switzerland, before 1983. Ex private North American collection. London private collection, 2016.
