Egyptian Faience Stamp Seal w/ Fly Handle

**First Time At Auction**

Ancient Egypt, late New Kingdom to Third Intermediate Period, 19th to 25th Dynasty, ca. 1200 to 700 BCE. A hand-built faience stamp seal of an ovoid form with a perforated handle arching across the top. On either end of the topside handle is an incised depiction of a fly meant to serve as a protective ward and a symbol of persistence. The base features 3 impressed hieroglyphs: a sun disc, a standing depiction of Ra - the falcon-headed god of the sun - and a reed leaf. The entire composition is covered in pale blue glaze that adds to its attractive presentation. Size: 1.1" L x 0.625" W (2.8 cm x 1.6 cm)

According to scholar Dorothea Arnold, "The ancient Egyptians…seemed to have held flies in high esteem, presumably because of this insect's powers of fast reaction and indomitable, insistent presence…[though] earlier fly amulets may have also served to ward off these annoying insects." (Arnold, Dorothea. "An Egyptian Bestiary." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Spring 1995, Vol. LII, no. 4, p. 48)

Provenance: private Toronto, Ontario, Canada collection, by descent, acquired in Egypt in 1894 to 1896

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#167125
Condition Report: Minor nicks to peripheries of topside, otherwise intact and very good. Great preservation to fly motifs, hieroglyphs, and glaze color.