Phoenician Green Stone Scarab with Man Fighting Lion

The reddish granite base and lower part of a kneeling statue of Prince Parahirwenemef, preserving the feet and lower legs with finely detailed sandals and well-modelled toes; part of the kilt survives, with a line of sunken hieroglyphs on either side; a broad front pillar and narrower back pillar rise from the base, both inscribed, while hieroglyphic inscriptions continue around all four sides of the plinth; the mirrored base inscriptions comprise offering formulae invoking Amun-Ra on behalf of the prince together with a series of his royal and military titles, including "royal scribe", "overseer of horses", "troop commander", "group marshaler", and the previously unattested title tpy n mšꜥ ("chief of troops"); a separate inscription on the rear of the plinth names the noblewoman Wadjet-khayty as sn.t=f mr=f ("his sister/wife, his beloved"), providing the first substantial evidence for her relationship with the prince and strongly suggesting that she was his wife. 140 kg, 58.5 cm



Private collection of Mr A., acquired circa 1983-1984. Thence by descent, private collection since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12887-241732. An article on this significant piece is currently being prepared by Egyptologist Paul Whelan.

Prince Parahirwenemef, the third son of Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari, is depicted in several relief scenes and two colossal statues associated with Ramesses II's temples, as well as in two smaller statues, both surviving only in fragmentary form. The inscriptions on this previously unrecorded statue base preserve the previously unattested military title tpy n mšꜥ ("chief of troops"), expanding the known titulary of Parahirwenemef and reinforcing his close association with the Ramesside chariot corps. The monument also provides the first substantial evidence concerning the noblewoman Wadjet-khayty, previously known only from a brief reference to a lost Karnak monument, strongly supporting her identification as the prince's wife. Together, the inscriptions make an important contribution to the study of Ramesside royal genealogy, military administration, and princely sculpture.

Pyramidal in form with shallow-carved hip and facial detailing. 537 grams, 81 mm



with Artemis Gallery, Munich, Germany, 2001. Private collection, Europe. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12580-232124.

The frog had a great role in ancient Egyptian mythology and was connected with the mythology of creation. A number of gods and goddesses were connected with the frog such as Heqet, Ptah, and Heh. The connection with the god Ptah as a god of creation was probably due to the idea that Ptah was the only god who created the world in ancient Egypt through his heart and his tongue. Every work of the god came about through what his heart devised and his tongue commanded. Frogs were often associated with Hekat, deity of birth and fecundity. Amulets of frogs were frequent votive gifts at such Predynastic and Archaic sites at Abydos, Naqada, and Saqqara.

Fragment of a carved panel or vessel depicting a female bust, possibly a queen or Isis, modelled in half-round relief, wearing a loosely draped tunic, a tiered wesekh collar, and a heavy curled, tripartite wig; reverse with lotus flower ropework and other ornamentation; mounted in a later gold suspension frame. 8.75 grams, 38 mm



Private collection, Southern France, 1970s. Acquired on the English art market.

This fragment likely originates from an elaborately decorated bowl belonging to a specific group thought to have been made in Alexandria (cf. Page-Gasser, M., Wiese, A.B., Ägypten: Augenblicke der Ewigkeit, Mainz, 1997, for a complete example). The purpose of these bowls is unclear, but they may have been used as votive offerings in sanctuaries.