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Details
LOT 0043
Large Phoenicio-Egyptian Faience Amulet of a Feline Head
LATE 1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
1 3/4 in. (31.9 grams, 46 mm).
Modelled in the half-round with fine detailing and a ribbed suspension loop.
Provenance
Ex collection of a Surrey lady, circa 1940s.
Literature
Cf. Schweitzer, A., Traunecker, C., Strasbourg Musée archéologique. Antiquités égyptiennes de la collection G. Schlumberger, Paris, 1998, pp. 75-76, nos. 153-154, for two comparable faience amulets.
Footnotes
It is unclear which deity the head represents, though either Sekhmet or Bastet is likely.
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LOT 0043
Large Phoenicio-Egyptian Faience Amulet of a Feline Head
Estimate £800 - 1,000€930 - 1,160 (for guidance only)$1,080 - 1,350 (for guidance only)
RELATED LOTS
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Egyptian Painted Limestone Mummiform Sekhmet Statuette
Circa 7th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,000
Carved in the round depiction of Bastet or Sekhmet in a lion-headed form with a tripartite headdress, with front lappets overlain by the leonine mane; between the ears, a hole possibly for the insertion of a separate sun disc element; red pigment lines and fringe to the shoulders; a black diamond pattern with central red dots decorating the back, and a winged scarab in black on the abdomen; marked on the underside with the collector's reference 'BAOP SAKKARA'; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 29 grams total, 77 mm including stand
Private collection of George Anastase Michaelides (1900-1973) and legally exported from Egypt in the 1940s. Black ink inscription on base "BAOP SAKKARA". Christie's, London, 29 October 2003, no.167. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Christie's catalogue pages. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13101-248076.
Considering the specified Saqqara provenance, it is probable that the statuette originated from the Bubastaeion, dedicated to Bastet. The goddess was more commonly depicted as a cat or a human with a cat's head, although she also sometimes displayed a leonine aspect. It is also possible that the statuette represents her son, Mahes, who was depicted as a man with a lion's head. -
Egyptian Turquoise Stone Scarab with Hieroglyphs
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Plano-convex in section with scarab detailing to the upper face; underside with a jackal (?) in profile; pierced longitudinally. 0.88 grams, 12 mm
Ex Constable collection, 1990s. Ex P. Morris collection. -
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.
