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LOT 0440
Phoenician Scarab in Bronze Pendant
6TH-4TH CENTURY B.C.
7/8 in. (9.06 grams, 22 mm).
With integral loop and flanking uraei, underside features reserved depictions of a winged sun disc, with central human or divine figure below flanked by uraei and quadrupeds, and a vulture with outspread wings beneath; accompanied by a museum-quality impression.
ProvenanceEx London, UK, gentleman 1980-2000s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Limestone Relief
Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
Relief fragment comprising: a sun disc with high-relief scarab motif to the centre; below this, a head in profile wearing a tiered wig with uraeus to the brow; mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.61 kg total, 22.2 cm including stand
Collection of Mr C., Geneva, Switzerland (1936-2016), assembled between 1985 and 2010. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Mummy Shroud Section with Hieratic Text
Late-Ptolemaic Period, circa 480-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
A section of woven linen textile featuring lines of neat hieratic text in black. 5.61 grams, 16 cm
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.
From the fifth century B.C., mummy wrappings for the affluent frequently display lines of hieratic script—a cursive variant of Egyptian hieroglyphs used for both daily and religious writings. These often include excerpts from funerary texts like the Book of the Dead, along with prayers and invocations designed to safeguard and guide the deceased in the afterlife. These texts, sometimes accompanied by vignettes, were inscribed directly on the linen strips before or during the mummification process. Some of these bandages could be remarkably long; one example from Brussels, measuring only 6.2 cm in width, spans an incredible 26 metres. -
Egyptian Silver Fly Amulet
Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
With detailing to wings and eyes, loop for suspension above the head. 0.91 grams, 20 mm
Ex London, UK, gentleman 1980-1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Considering that Egyptian artists often depicted fly whisks in the hands of pharaohs and high officials, one might assume that flies were merely a nuisance. However, the Egyptians held flies in high regard for their speed, quick reactions, and persistence. Small fly amulets first appeared in burials during the Naqada II Period, around 3200 B.C. These amulets gained popularity, and the materials used to make them varied during the New Kingdom. They were crafted from various materials such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, amethyst, faience, and bone. These amulets were believed to protect against insect bites and to ward off troublesome flying creatures through apotropaic magic. Some believe they may have even symbolised the fly’s fecundity. Additionally, pharaohs would bestow gold fly-shaped pendants as military awards to honour the bravery and persistence of soldiers in battle.
