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LOT 0528
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.
LiteratureCf. 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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LOT 0528
Phoenician Glass Bead Collection
Estimate £900 - 1,200€1,040 - 1,390 (for guidance only)$1,220 - 1,620 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Steatite Scarab Collection
Hyksos Period and New Kingdom, 18th-13th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
Each with a domed carapace, two with a figure on the underside surrounded by hieroglyphs, two inscribed with hieroglyphic signs. 15 grams total, 18-24 mm
Acquired in Europe before 1992. Private collection, UK. -
Romano-Egyptian Haematite Scarab with Gnostic Figure
3rd century A.D.Estimate: £600 - 800 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £333
With scene to underside of a winged figure advancing. 6.52 grams, 17 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. -
Egyptian Bronze Seated Harpocrates
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £900 - 1,200 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £475
Substantial cast figurine modelled in the round of Harpocrates sitting with hands on his thighs, double crown and sidelock. 389 grams, 16.2 cm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
Harpocrates is the Greek rendering of the Egyptian Hor-pa-khered, which means ‘Horus the Child’. This name refers to Horus as the divine infant of Isis and Osiris. Wearing an amulet of Harpocrates was believed to give the wearer the same protection that Isis offered to her beloved son. Larger bronze statuettes probably served as votive offerings to Harpocrates to secure his favour and protection.
