Phoenician Stone Scarab with Inscription

Carved in the round reed boat with ram-headed prow, altar amidships surmounted by a horned sun disc and flanked by two baboons standing in adoration; repaired. 10.4 grams, 55 mm



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

This represents a condensed version of a two-dimensional funerary scene of the sun god Re, here represented by the horned disc, in his solar barque, flanked by baboons in an attitude of praise. The boat's ram-headed prow possibly alludes to Re's transformation into a ram during his night-time journey through the Underworld.

A group of thirteen scarabs with anatomical detailing to the carapace, comprising: 1) two kneeling hawk-headed figures with arms raised praise flank a central Hathoric fetish; 2) two facing falcons adorned with Red Crowns flanked by hieroglyphs, including netjer,hes-jars, and maat feathers; 3) standing human figure holding a staff atop a neb hieroglyph facing a highly stylised crocodile; 4) falcon atop a neb hieroglyph facing a striking cobra with another above; 5) the Re-Horakhty falcon standing before a hes-jar, with cartouche behind containing hieroglyphs and a verticalneb hieroglyph on the left; 6) central motif of a bird atop a neb hieroglyph with a rectangular sign above, a was- sceptre behind, flanked by stylised cobras; 7) falcon wearing the Red Crown atop a shrine with a winged sun disc above, flanked by cobras and Red Crowns; 8) central design consisting of hes-jars, a sun disc, a nub symbol (for gold), nefer signs, a kheper scarab beetle, and lotus flowers, all flanked by a border of en and ro signs; 9) central column of hes-jars, a sun disc, a kha rising sun hieroglyph, and scarab beetle, flanked by lions’ foreparts, Red Crowns, neb and hes-jar signs; 10) standing figure atop a neb hieroglyph holding a flower/branch; 11) hieroglyphs writing ‘Amun beloved of the living Ramesses’; 12) stylised bird with men hieroglyph behind; 13) scarab beetle with sun disc above. 27.1 grams total, 11-20 mm



Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.

The popularity of the scarab was so great that many of these scarab designs can be found outside Egypt at sites in the ancient Levant.

Hollow-formed mask with integral tripartite wig and mount for a uraeus; impassive facial detailing and applied gold cosmetic lines to eyes, eyebrows, and lateral chin straps of the braided 'false beard'; segment of the wesekh-collar visible between the lappets of the wig; some restoration; mounted on a custom-made stand within a padded wooden display case. 1.2 kg, 22.5 cm high including stand (3.27 kg total, 27 cm including case)



Old French family collection of Monsieur and Madame D., 1960s. Ex Rennes Enchères, Hôtel des Ventes, France, 11 March 2003, no.117 (front-cover) for 150,000.00 euros. Acquired from Mansour Gallery, London W1, UK, in 2013. From the collection of a Kensington gentleman. Private collection, UK. Accompanied by the original Rennes Enchères catalogue. Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.058205 dated 15 April 2003. Accompanied by a copy of Mansour Gallery’s invoice, 2013. Accompanied by previous typed and illustrated collection cataloguing pages. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12372-225585.