AN ‘IBIS’ AMULET, BLUE AND GREEN BICHROME FAIENCE, LATE PERIOD, DYNASTY XXV-XXXI
Lot 51 - ANT1125

Exhibited: TEFAF, Maastricht, March 7-14, 2024.

Expert Note: The ibis was the sacred bird of Thoth, the god of wisdom, writing, and divine judgment. In amulet form, the ibis is more than a naturalistic bird—it embodies Thoth himself in his avian guise. As scribe of the gods, Thoth presided over the Weighing of the Heart ceremony, where he recorded whether the soul of the deceased was justified against the feather of Maat. The spur between the ibis’ feet, once supporting such a feather, makes the association explicit, confirming the amulet’s funerary function. By highlighting the tail feathers in lapis blue, the artist emphasized the bird’s celestial and regenerative aspect — aligning the ibis (Thoth’s form) with cosmic permanence and the cycle of renewal.

Egypt, circa 715-332 BC. The sacred bird of Thoth standing on an integral base, with a pendant loop at the nape of the neck, the head and body in green, with a patch of darker blue to the tip of the tail feathers.

Provenance: A private collection in Switzerland, acquired in the 1960s, and thence by descent. Thereafter with Rupert Wace Ancient Art, London. The base and fitted stand with an inventory label, inscribed ‘17695’. Rupert Wace (b. 1955) has been a leading figure in the world of Antiquities for over forty years. A collector at heart and sometime dealer by profession, Wace's expertise ranges from ancient Egypt and the Classical world to the Near East. His clients include international collectors and many of the world's leading museums, including the British Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, among others. He is a longstanding member of The Antiquities Dealer's Association (ADA) and currently sits on the board of the International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art (IADAA).
Condition: Good condition with expected wear and encrustations, commensurate with age. A small old repair to the neck. The feather of Maat lost.

Weight: 2.7 g (excl. stand), 44.1 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Length 2.4 cm (excl. stand), 7 cm (incl. stand)

With a fitted wood stand. (2)

In ancient Egypt, objects created with faience were considered magical, filled with the undying shimmer of the sun, and imbued with the powers of rebirth. For Egyptians, the sculptures, vessels, jewelry, and ritual objects made of faience glimmered with the brilliance of eternity. While faience is made of common materials—quartz, alkaline salts, lime, and mineral-based colorants—it maintained important status among precious stones and metals. Faience may have been developed to simulate highly prized and rare semi-precious blue stones like turquoise. This man-made substance allowed the Egyptians to make a wide variety of objects covered in shiny, bright blue glaze—a color that was closely linked with fertility, life, and the gleaming qualities of the sun.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related faience ibis with maat feather, Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, dated to 664–30 BC, 1.9 cm wide, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 26.7.873.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 8 December 2015, lot 37
Price: USD 11,250 or approx. EUR 14,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Egyptian Pale Blue Faience Amulet of Thoth, 26th/ 30th Dynasty, 664-342 B.C.
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling of the ibis head and the similar color of the faience. Note the height of 7 cm.