Large Egyptian Steatite Scarab with Hieroglyphs

Wedjat amuletic bead with applied black detailing to the pupil and brow. 16.5 grams, 50.4 mm



with Archaeologia, Switzerland, before 1983. Ex private North American collection. London private collection, 2016.

Comprising a round-section swivel ring set with a carved Apis bull depicted recumbent with its head turned to right. 4.71 grams, 27.98 mm overall, 19.07 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N, USA 6 1/2, Europe 13.72, Japan 13)



Private collection, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12939-245988.

The Apis bull was a sacred animal in ancient Egyptian religion, worshipped as a living manifestation of the god Ptah and later associated with Osiris and Ra. Regarded as an intermediary between the gods and humanity, the Apis bull was chosen based on specific physical characteristics, such as a black coat with unique white markings. Once identified, it was housed in a grand temple in Memphis, where it was treated with great reverence, adorned with jewellery, and participated in important religious ceremonies. Upon its death, the bull underwent elaborate mummification and burial rituals, symbolising its transition to the afterlife and its continued divine role. The cult of the Apis bull highlights the Egyptians’ deep connection to animals as symbols of divine power and their belief in the interconnectedness of the mortal and spiritual worlds.

A fragment of an orbiculus in linen and red, brown, yellow and blue wool, S torsion, embroidered with an image of a putto with vine leaves around the head, surrounded by tondos ornamented with vegetal embroidery. 11 grams total including package, 78 mm



Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.

This is a fragment from a tunic decoration, usually forming part of a double band on a red background, decorated with a series of motifs related to the Dionysian cult: usually depicting cherubs, fish, heads, palmettes, and figures of dancing puttoes within the orbiculi. The decorative motifs on these tunics were usually arranged vertically and horizontally.