EGYPTIAN LAPIS LAZULI VULTURE AMULET

Late Period, Ca. 664 - 332 BC. A vulture amulet carved from lapis lazuli. The bird is standing on an integral rectangular base, its wings folded tightly against the body. The plumage is detailed with incised feather markings across the wings and back, and the head is slightly lowered with a large eye and a curved beak. A ridged suspension channel rises from the back of the neck. The reverse is flat and undecorated. Reviewed by Simone Musso, consultant curator for Egyptian antiquities at the Stibbert Museum, Florence, Italy, member of the Nuri Archaeological Expedition. For similar see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Object Number: 26.7.896. Size: 39mm x 50mm; Weight: 9.11g Provenance: Private UK collection; acquired on the French market in the 1980s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.