Origin: Egypt Circa: 100 BC to 200 AD Collection: Incantation Lead Scroll Style: Magical Text Medium: Lead Condition: Very Fine

Origin: Egypt Circa: 100 BC to 200 AD Collection: Incantation Lead Scroll Style: Magical Text Medium: Lead Condition: Very Fine   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 650 BC to 550 BC Dimensions: 54" (137.2cm) high Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Sarcophagus Fragment Medium: Wood Condition: Fine Isis is a  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 650 BC to 550 BC Dimensions: 54" (137.2cm) high Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Sarcophagus Fragment Medium: Wood Condition: Fine Isis is a goddess in Egyptian mythology. She was most prominent mythologically as the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus, and was worshipped as the archetypical wife and mother. Her name literally means (female) of throne, i.e. Queen of the throne, which was portrayed by the emblem worn on her head, that of a throne. However, the hieroglyph of her name originally meant (female) of flesh, i.e. mortal, and she may simply have represented deified, historical queens. Her origins are uncertain but are believed to have come from the Nile Delta; however, unlike other Egyptian deities, she did not have a centralised cult at any point throughout her worship. First mentions of Isis date back to the Fifth dynasty of Egypt which is when the first literary inscriptions are found, but her cult became prominent late in Egyptian history, when it began to absorb the cults of many other goddesses. It eventually spread outside Egypt throughout the Middle East and Europe, with temples dedicated to her built as far away as the British Isles. Pockets of her worship remained in Christian Europe as late as the 6th century. - (FF.666)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high x 1.375" (3.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Glass Perhaps no  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high x 1.375" (3.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Glass Perhaps no single object epitomizes the spirit of ancient Egypt better than the ushabti. Shaped like a divine mummy, the ushabti evokes the magical side of Egyptian belief in an afterlife. The two hoes clutched in the hands recall the rural, agrarian culture of the land. The word ushabti (supplanting the older term shawabti) literally means "the answerer." The function of these little figures is described in Chapter VI of the Book of the Dead: "O this Ushabti! If (the deceased) is called upon to do hard labor in the hereafter, say thou: I am here." The ushabti was expected to answer the call to work in place of the deceased, and this passage was frequently inscribed on the figures themselves. Originally, a single ushabti was placed in any given tomb. But by the New Kingdom the statues had come to be regarded as servants and slaves for the deceased, rather than as a substitute. Many have been found buried together, along with an overseer figure. In the course of Egyptian history, ushabti were created from wood, stone, metal and faience. In the cultural renaissance of the XXVIth Dynasty (Saite period), a green faience, the color of the Nile and evocative of the verdant landscape in springtime, was particularly popular. This particular ushabti, formed from a dark colored glass, is particularly rare, both in regards to the material and its hue. To look upon an ushabti is to come face to face with the mystery and magic of Egypt itself. - (X.0066)   « Less

Circa: 1196 BC to 1070 BC Dimensions: 3.125" (7.9cm) wide Collection: New Kingdom Style: Dynasty XX Condition: Fine The beetle well-detailed with hatching on the legs  More »

Circa: 1196 BC to 1070 BC Dimensions: 3.125" (7.9cm) wide Collection: New Kingdom Style: Dynasty XX Condition: Fine The beetle well-detailed with hatching on the legs and fine incision for the wing case, the human head with a square chin, triangular nose and large spiraling ears, the eyes and brows deeply drilled for now-missing inlays, perforated below the ears for suspension, the underside inscribed with eleven lines of text, partly in heiroglyphs, partly in hieratic, with a form of chapter 30 from "The Book of the Dead", reading: 1) "O hut(?)-asha, 2)My heart of my mother (twice), My Heart 3)...do not stand up against me as a witness...4)[before] the lords of offerings, do not me, that he may make(?)...5)...against me, do not bring into being the ones who do things, do not...(or, in...) 6) (twice). Hail to you (O) Heart! Hail to you (O) gods 7)...who are at the head of the Long-Tressed Ones, sacred...8)...on the Dam-scepters. Recount ye my goodness to Re, 9) command ye me toheb-kau.Now I...10)...there/therein, without(?) allowing putrefaction to endure, that [I] may not 11)...things/offerings(?), thatmay live there/therein" - (DC.014)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 2300 BC to 1300 BC Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: NewKingdom Medium: Terracotta Condition: Very Fine

Origin: Egypt Circa: 2300 BC to 1300 BC Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: NewKingdom Medium: Terracotta Condition: Very Fine   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1 st Century AD to 2 nd Century AD Dimensions: 11.2" (28.4cm) high x 7.8" (19.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Roman Period Medium:  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1 st Century AD to 2 nd Century AD Dimensions: 11.2" (28.4cm) high x 7.8" (19.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Roman Period Medium: PlasterCustomary to the Egyptian funerary tradition, a mask is created to cover the face of the deceased and replaces the mutilated visage of the mummified corpse in the eternal life. This particular Roman Period plaster funerary mask is striking in its vibrant and well-preserved hues. The woman appears to be wearing a decorative headdress embellished with rosette-like figures, which resemble jewelry. The turquoise base of the headdress envelops the woman’s hair in twisted braids. One also views her elaborate coiffure modeled in relief, which attests to the Roman influence upon an ancient Egyptian tradition. This seemingly young woman gazes at us with her large, almond-shaped eyes beautifully outlined in black by kohl, a popular cosmetic practice. The grayish eye shadow and black mascara enhance the size of the woman’s eyes. With lips reddened to match the color of the rosettes on her headdress, her mouth is cracked open to reveal a possible intention to initiate conversation. Does this woman have something to say? The woman’s stare leaves an everlasting impression on us and ignites our imaginations even more to further understand her role and function during the Egypto-Roman period. - (LO.1312)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1 st Century AD to 3 rd Century AD Dimensions: 4.50" (11.4cm) high x 7.25" (18.4cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Roman  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1 st Century AD to 3 rd Century AD Dimensions: 4.50" (11.4cm) high x 7.25" (18.4cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Roman Period Medium: Faience Condition: Very Fine   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 750 BC to 30 BC Dimensions: 13.25" (33.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic/Ptolemaic Period Medium: Wood Condition: Extra Fine The  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 750 BC to 30 BC Dimensions: 13.25" (33.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic/Ptolemaic Period Medium: Wood Condition: Extra Fine The immensely complex systematics of ancient Egyptian beliefs in the afterlife are embodied in this attractive wooden polychrome piece. According to the hieroglyphics, the sculpture is dedicated to a god who went through two major incarnations between the early Old Kingdom and the birth of the New Kingdom. Starting as Seker – literally “cleaning of the mouth” after an ancient rite following decease – his role was to divorce the body from the soul following death, and to ensure the movement of the deceased’s spirit to the hereafter. At this point, he was depicted as possessing avian characteristics, due to the popular conception that the Ba (soul) was prone to fly confusedly above the Ba (body) after death. He lent his name to the necropolis outside Memphis (Saqqara), and was revered throughout this area and ancient Thebes where there was an annual festival in his honour.Despite his somewhat funereal reputation, he became – through an accidental alliteration of his name (ie. “the decorated one”) the patron god of metalworkers and jewellers. This saw him become allied to Ptah (the god of craft workers), thus being Ptah-Seker for the remainder of the Old Kingdom. In the New Kingdom, however, he was promoted to a higher status – that of Osiris, the god of death. Thus glorified as Ptah-Seker- Osiris, he occupied numerous social and funerary roles, and was worshipped in many different ways for different reasons.The Late Period was the last phase of Egyptian dynastic domination. It is characterised by the see-sawing of power between Egypt and various Middle Eastern groups, notably the Persians. This period saw Egypt conquered twice, at the end of the 26th dynasty, and again – following a rebellion under the Amyrtaeus, Prince of Sais – in the thirtieth dynasty. While political power was waning, cultural trends were highly dynamic, with numerous external influences, allied with conservative trends – especially surrounding funerary issues – that conspired to produce a highly distinctive artistic heritage. The arrival of the Roman legions was perhaps the greatest single cultural change Egypt had ever experienced.Like most societies, Egypt operated on the basis of conspicuous consumption – this is amply evident from the fact that they created some of the ancient world’s most flamboyant architecture. Unusually, however, they continued this principle into the hereafter. It is hard to overestimate Egypt’s preoccupation with death; the Book of the Dead was, after all, their main religious treatise, while much of their iconography and social stratification was based upon what happened after one died. As a result, the most wealthy and influential people manifested their uniqueness and proximity to the pharaohs (themselves gods, in the eyes of their people) by making as much of an impact as possible with grave furniture and funeral preparations.The piece is in good condition, depicting a figure (perhaps the deceased, rather than the deity himself) standing with arms folded on the far end of a hieroglyph-decorated block. The figure is clearly meant to represent a mummified individual, with an ornately-decorated pectoral overlying traditional bandaging, with a long red- painted list of hieroglyphs displayed frontally. The mummy cloth itself is represented with a lattice-work grid. The face is impassive, with a nose in relief, all features highlighted with black paint. The hairpiece is long and runs down to the mid-chest. The general ground is brownish- yellow, with details picked out in black, red and white. The relatively large size and frailty of this piece makes its survival in such good condition something for which to be thankful. This is an impressive sculpture, and perhaps the ultimate conversation piece for a collection or domestic setting. - (DC.5280 (LSO))   « Less

Origin: Sinai Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 6.75" (17.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Kingdom Condition: Extra Fine Representations of fertility and  More »

Origin: Sinai Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 6.75" (17.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Kingdom Condition: Extra Fine Representations of fertility and motherhood are found across the ancient civilizations and stand as a testament to the universality of human nature. The ancient Egyptian goddess Thoeris (Tawaret), or “the great [female] one”, embodies these physical attributes of fertility with her pregnant belly and her pendulous breasts. Commonly interpreted in the form of a hippopotamus, the goddess is depicted wearing a female headdress like that of the goddess Hathor. Upon closer examination, one sees that this figure is a configuration of fierce animals that are known to be overly protective of their young: the lion, the crocodile and the hippo. The protective function is highlighted both by the grimacing open- mouth pose and the hieroglyph “sa”, meaning protection, that rests under Tawaret’s paws. It is no wonder that such a powerful protective force was a popular household deity represented as far back as the Old Kingdom. - (GDC.002)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 3.6" (9.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Stone The Egyptians have left us with  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 3.6" (9.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Stone The Egyptians have left us with what is perhaps the most detailed legacy of an ancient civilization. They had strong beliefs about what would happen after the death and spent much of their earthly lives preparing for the next world.The falcon is one of the few clear examples of a motif known in Egypt's Predynastic times that continued into the Dynastic period, after 3100 B.C., when it symbolized the king as an embodiment of the falcon-headed god Horus, the patron deity of kingship. Horus was the falcon-deity, originally the sky-god, identified with the king during his lifetime Known more importantly as the son of Osiris and Isis. Horus was also the avenger of his father Osiris, who was killed by Set.Masterfully carved from stone, the falcon's shape and profile are familiar from later representations. In all his forms, the Egyptian Horus was seen as the Prince of Gods, other gods of the pantheon becoming subordinate to him. Archaeologists researching the sites of Ancient Egypt have uncovered numerous falcon figures, ranging from life-size representations to tiny statuettes crafted with exquisite precision. This is also partly due to the fact that the falcon was sacred to Sokar, the Memphite patron of the Dead. - (LK.009)   « Less