Lot 6
Ancient Egypt, Middle Kingdom, 11th to 13th Dynasty, ca. 2130 to 1649 BCE; Late Dynastic period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A wonderful pair of amulets: a lead figure of the Egyptian dwarf deity Bes from the Late Dynastic period and a faience scarab from the Middle Kingdom. Enveloped in a rich russet patina, the nude deity is depicted seated with knees drawn up to his bulbous belly as he grasps a horn in one hand and a sword in the other. His sizeable head displays a jolly countenance with recessed eyes, a button nose, a lengthy moustache, and a smiling mouth. Alternatively, the scarab is of an ovoid, hemispherical form exhibiting a lunate head, a notched elytrum, a smooth clypeus, petite eyes, merged wings, and folded legs. The flat verso is incised with the image of a skirted figure, perhaps a deity, facing right and standing atop a basket and beside a pair of cobras, all encircled by a band of linear striations. Size of largest (Bes): 1" W x 1.3" H (2.5 cm x 3.3 cm)
Bes, the bandy-legged leonine dwarf god, was an apotropaic deity, the protector of the home, children, and women in pregnancy and childbirth. In his role as protector of the home he was thought to dispel bad dreams, and by increasing virility in men and fertility in women, he was seen as a symbol of fecundity. When depicted in full form, he is generally depicted nude, wearing a lion's mane, a plumed headdress, and a tail. He is also seen dancing, brandishing a sword, or frightening off evil spirits by playing music. Bes continued to be a popularly depicted protective deity well into the Graeco-Roman Period.
Provenance: ex-Estate of Eldert Bontekoe, Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, acquired before 2000
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#158509
- Condition: Chip to left side of wing on scarab, but otherwise intact. Bes figure has losses to top and softening of detail. Both have expected nicks, scratches, and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, both are very nice with lovely patina to lead and impressive remaining detail on scarab.
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