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LOT 0492
Phoenician Glass Bead Collection
6TH-3RD CENTURY B.C. OR LATER
1/2 - 1 5/8 in. (179 grams total, 12-42 mm).
Comprising a group of crumb-decorated polychrome oblate beads and a centrepiece pendant formed as a stylised bearded head. [29]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Lightfoot, C. S., The Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Art: Ancient Glass, New York, 2017, pp. 310-328, for discussion and examples of Phoenician glass beads.
FootnotesThe Phoenicians, renowned seafarers and traders, were also skilled glassworkers. They produced a wide variety of glass beads using core-forming and winding techniques, with vivid colours and elaborate designs that reflect both technical mastery and cross-cultural influence. Among the most iconic Phoenician beads are glass 'head' beads, crafted in the form of stylised human or mythological faces. Typically, they feature exaggerated facial details like bulging eyes, large noses, beards, and headdresses, often with expressive or comic features.
They were possibly worn as amulets to ward off evil or attract protection, though they may also represent deities, ancestors, or foreigners.
These beads often incorporate Egyptian, Greek, and Near Eastern stylistic elements, reflecting the Phoenicians’ extensive trade networks.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0492
Phoenician Glass Bead Collection
Estimate £1,200 - 1,700€1,390 - 1,970 (for guidance only)$1,620 - 2,300 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Heart Scarab Group
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £180 - 240 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £90
Comprising two scarabs with striated wing cases and ribbed underside. 7.5 grams total, 18-20 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The scarab amulet was a powerful symbol of rebirth, transformation, and protection in ancient Egypt. Modelled after the beetle linked to the sun god Khepri, it represented the cycle of life and regeneration. Used from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2050 BCE) onwards, scarabs served as funerary amulets, personal charms, and seals—often inscribed with prayers or names—reflecting both spiritual beliefs and daily life. -
Egyptian Hardstone Scarab
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £572
With detailed clypeus and head, raised ridge separating the wing case, resting on an oval base with plain underside. 10.1 grams, 27 mm
From the property of a London, UK, gentleman, 1970-2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The 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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Egyptian Turquoise Glazed Faience Four Sons of Horus Mount Set
25th Dynasty, circa 747-656 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,200
Set of four flat-backed plaques depicting the standing figures of the four sons of Horus (from left to right: Duamutef, Imsety, Hapy, and Qebehsenuef) in profile, each wearing a tripartite wig, broad collars, and holding a long folded cloth; mounted on a stand. 81 grams total, 95 x 80 mm including stand
Gunther Markert collection, Germany/Switzerland, 1954 or 1961. with Robert Bigler, Switzerland. Private collection, London, UK, acquired from the above on 12 October 2001. Accompanied by a copy of the Robert Bigler invoice. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The Four Sons of Horus were deities tasked with protecting the internal organs of the deceased. The human-headed Imsety safeguarded the liver, the baboon-headed Hapy looked after the lungs, the jackal-headed Duamutef defended the stomach, and the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef protected the intestines. Amulets featuring these deities were included within the mummy wrappings.
