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LOT 0432
Phoenician Scarab in Gold Swivel Ring
6TH-4TH CENTURY B.C. AND LATER
1 in. (4.34 grams, 26.44 mm overall, 15.68 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J 1/2, USA 5, Europe 9.32, Japan 9)).
The scarab with lightly incised anatomical detailing, the underside with a central cartouche flanked by two rearing crowned uraei, a pair of falcons standing above the cartouche facing a smꜣ hieroglyph symbolising union (of the two lands, Upper and Lower Egypt); set into a later gold swivel ring.
Provenancewith Bonhams, London, UK, 21 October 1999, no.36.
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.12370-226696.
Cf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, items 1,2, for earlier examples of the type.
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LOT 0432
Phoenician Scarab in Gold Swivel Ring
Estimate £1,200 - 1,700€1,390 - 1,970 (for guidance only)$1,620 - 2,300 (for guidance only)
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Phoenicio-Egyptian Dark Green Stone Scarab
Circa 9th-8th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
With textured carapace, bull-horned column to the reverse, possibly a symbol of Tanit. 3.94 grams, 15 mm
From the property of the late Mr SM, London, UK, 1969-1999. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The widespread adoption of the scarab, both as a symbol linked to the concept of rebirth, and in its function as a seal, exemplifies the extent of Egyptian influence on Phoenician culture, from its origins in the Levant to its spread across the Mediterranean. -
Egyptian Clay Papyrus Document Sealing with Bust of Hadrian
Roman Period, 117-135 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
Discoid in plan with impressed seal, profile bust of Hadrian placed to one side. 4.89 grams, 24 mm
Acquired on the UK art market before 2000. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Egyptian Steatite Portrait of a Ptolemaic Prince
2nd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,350
With a round face, large eyes, a narrow nose that broadens at the end, and full lips downturned at the corners; the forehead with a distinctive deep furrow above the brow; a narrow, twisted diadem encircling his wavy hair; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 84 grams total, 10 cm including stand
Private collection, Bern, Switzerland. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12631-236408.
The Greek hairstyle is a characteristic feature of Ptolemaic royal portraiture, as is the twisted diadem - a Greek interpretation of the Egyptian headband (the sšd) - which appears on several portrait heads of Ptolemaic boy-kings and princes. The distinctive furrow is intriguing, as it contrasts with the typically blemish-free physiognomy of most Ptolemaic royal sculpture. However, a similar furrow can be seen on the portrait head of a provincial governor from Dendera, dated to the 2nd century B.C. (Bothmer, B.V., Egyptian Sculpture of the Late Period 700 B.C. to A.D. 100, New York, 1960, pp. 144-143, pl. 112, nos. 301-302), which may indicate an artistic trend employed in high-status sculpture at that time. It has been suggested that small royal portrait heads, such as this example, may have served as votives. The lack of an Egyptian-style back pillar on this and similar pieces supports the possibility that they were inserted into statues made of different materials (Ashton, S.-A., Ptolemaic Royal Sculpture from Egypt, BAR International Series 923, Oxford, 2001, p.12).
