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LOT 0054
Large Egyptian Carnelian Scarab
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
7/8 in. (3.98 grams, 22 mm).
Naturalistically modelled, featuring detailed head and elytra, with suspension loop on the underside.
ProvenanceCollection of a lady, circa 1940.
Ex Mayfair gallery, London, UK.
Ex an important Wiltshire, UK, collection.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13158-249420.
Cf. Petrie, W.M.F., Amulets. Illustrated by the Egyptian Collection in University College, London, 1914, pl.XI, items 92a-f.
FootnotesThe scarab amulet was arguably the most ubiquitous symbol in ancient Egypt, representing rebirth, transformation, and protection. Modelled after the scarab beetle, which was associated with the sun god Khepri - believed to roll the sun across the sky - the amulet illustrated the cycle of life and regeneration. Scarabs were commonly placed with the deceased as funerary amulets to ensure safe passage into the afterlife. They also served as seals and personal charms, often inscribed with prayers, names, or protective formulas. Widely used from the early Middle Kingdom (c. 2050 BCE) onwards, scarab amulets reflect both spiritual beliefs and everyday practices in ancient Egyptian life.
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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Coptic Marble Liturgical Vessel Fragment with Inscription
6th century A.D.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £833
Tongue-shaped with low rounded pad on the underside, raised edge with low-relief decoration of grape vines and leaves, the edge with pairs of opposing doves eating grapes; dedicatory Demotic inscription on the underside. 87 grams, 55 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12575-232108.
These vessels were used as liturgical objects for church offerings or ritual, and were extensively employed from late antiquity in ecclesiastical contexts. -
Egyptian Granite Seated Figure
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,667
Fragment of a statue of an official, comprising the torso and legs clad in an ankle-length robe and seated on a rectangular-section seat with stepped base and short, curved backrest and rear dorsal pillar; the left hand carved with the palm resting along the thigh; the right hand similarly placed but with the hand gripping a folded piece of cloth of which the ends are draped over the lower thigh above the knee; traces of an old label to reverse. 4.1 kg, 18.7 cm
Private collection, Europe. with Bonhams & Brooks, 8th November 2001, no.265. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams & Brooks catalogue pages. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12584-232097.
The official would have been shown wearing a longer cloak-like garment rather than a waist-height kilt, as the line of the folded edge is visible above where a waistband would typically be. -
Egyptian Hardstone Headrest Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Carved miniature headrest with rectangular base. 1.14 grams, 12 mm
Ex Constable collection, 1990s. Ex Ancient & Oriental, UK. Ex P. Morris collection. Accompanied by an old photograph and a previous catalogue cutting.
The headrest, or weres amulet, was placed under the mummy's head to protect it from damage, and so ensure their rebirth. Most are made of haematite, though other materials, such as faience, were sometimes used. The headrest’s role is specified in Chapter 166 of the Book of the Dead. By the Late Period, they were attached to or inserted into the mummy wrappings.
