Phoenician Silver Cylinder Seal with Pseudo-Egyptian Hieroglyphs

Comprising a group of crumb-decorated polychrome oblate beads and a centrepiece pendant formed as a stylised bearded head. 179 grams total, 12-42 mm



From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.

The 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.

Proof etching on laid paper of plate 98 from Description de l'Égypte : ou, Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française. entitled Vue de l'Esplanade ou Grande Place du port neuf et de l'Enceinte des Arabes, Seconde partie. 233 grams, 105 x 66.5 cm



From the collection of a North American priest. Acquired between 1981-1996. Property of a North American collector.

Produced between February 1802 and 1830 on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte; published between 1809 and 1828. Just 1,000 copies were distributed to various institutions, printed on laid paper with an 'Égypte ancienne et moderne' watermark. The book is subtitled Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l’expédition de l’Armée française, publié par les ordres de Sa Majesté l’Empereur Napoléon le Grand (Gathering of observations and discoveries which were made in Egypt during the expedition of the French army, published on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon the Great). It was the world's first encyclopedia devoted exclusively to the remains of ancient Egypt. The plates of this book are the first to present the archaeological sites of Thebes (Luxor).

Composite animal figure with a hippopotamus's head and body, a crocodile's tail, and a human torso with arms, topped with a finely striated tripartite wig; the right hand, positioned beneath the left nipple, encloses a drilled hole connecting to the hollow body; a hole at the top of the head; mounted on a custom-made stand. 160 grams total, 17.3 cm including stand



Ex private French collection, since the early 1990s. Acquired from Galerie Reiner, rue Bonaparte, Paris. Artcurial, Paris, 6 November 2013, no.55. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan. Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.150578. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13189-249212.

The vessel’s shape indicates it was likely used in magical and libationary rituals meant to invoke Taweret’s protective powers during childbirth and maternity. Usually depicted as a female hippopotamus with lion-like arms and legs and a crocodile’s back and tail, Taweret remains one of the most distinctive and recognisable deities in the Egyptian pantheon. Her name comes from the Egyptian word for "great" or "large" (tꜣwꜣrt), emphasising her powerful and protective nature.