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An Egyptian glazed composition lion amulet image 1
An Egyptian glazed composition lion amulet image 2
Lot 187

An Egyptian glazed composition lion amulet

Antiquities
28 November 2019, 10:30 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £3,562.50 inc. premium

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An Egyptian glazed composition lion amulet
Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, circa 380-200 B.C.
Depicted couchant in the manner of a royal sphinx on an integral rectangular base with rounded end, his tail curled around the right hindleg, the features incised and naturalistically modelled, with ribs and mane indicated as well as musculature of his haunch, a ribbed suspension loop between the shoulders, 6.5cm long, 3.8cm high

Footnotes

Provenance:
Anonymous sale; Münzen und Medaillen AG, Basel, 16 June 1981, lot 94.
Private collection, Europe.

For a similar amulet from the Leo Mildenberg collection, see A. Kozloff (ed.), Animals in Ancient Art, Cleveland, 1981, p. 65, no. 52. This genre of amulet was likely apotropaic or protective in function. Carol Andrews suggests that these larger lion amulets may be related to a spell against snakes preserved on a Late Period papyrus: it requires the words be recited 'over a lion of glazed composition threaded to red linen' (Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, p. 64-5). Flinders Petrie records a variety of lion amulets, including one very similar to the present lot (Amulets, London, 1914, p. 45, no. 219H, pl. XXXVIII), all but one of which had been placed on the chest of the deceased.

Additional information

Bid now on these items

An Anatolian marble idol
A Mesopotamian clay cuneiform foundation cone with dedication inscription of King Lipit-Ishtar of Isin
A small Mesopotamian clay cuneiform foundation cone inscribed for King Sin-Kashid of Uruk
A Neo-Assyrian or Neo-Hittite bronze helmet with pelta-shaped cheek-pieces
A Babylonian agate "eye-stone" bead, inscribed for Nebuchadnezzar II
A large Etruscan Impasto Ware pottery olla
A Roman marble torso of a youth wearing a tunic
A Roman marble head of a satyr
An Attic pottery tankard with geometric decoration
A Greek bronze horse
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