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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 Black Stone Scarab
Late Period, 664-332 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £351
A finely detailed scarab body rests on an oval plate, its underside featuring deeply incised hieroglyphs, including the sun rising over a mountain, two neb signs, the khepri beetle, two nefer signs, a sun disc, and an enigmatic symbol, possibly the hepet sign. 15.5 grams, 31 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. -
Egyptian Faience Frog Scaraboid
Ptolemaic Period, circa 300 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Discoid base with crouching frog pierced longitudinally for threading; underside with a solar disc and unidentified symbol. 0.56 grams, 13 mm
Ex R. Liechti (1934-2010) Geneva, Switzerland, formed between 1950-1990s. Accompanied by a copy of an old collection inventory note. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian and Other Mosaic Glass Fragment Collection
3rd century B.C.-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Comprising fourteen polychrome fragments displaying vibrant colours and patterns, two with a rounded lip. 58 grams total, 15-71 mm
Ex Gallery Mikazuki before 1984. London gallery, latterly Mayfair, UK, collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
