RARE EGYPTIAN GOLD INLAID BA AMULET

Late Period, Ca. 664 - 332 BC An Egyptian Ba amulet with beautifully inlaid gold, made with extraordinary stylised symmetrical details. The main decoration is composed of lapis lazuli and faience inlaid bands on the wings, body and tail. These amulets were placed on the chest of a mummy, as a protective substitute for an individual’s ba. The ba-bird was a part of a human that was activated after death. Its role was to visit the world of the living and oversee critical events during the deceased’s passage from this world to the next. Amongst the earliest examples was one included in Tutankhamun’s mummy (ca. 1327 BC). For similar see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 23.10.21.
Size: 55mm x 25mm; Weight: 5g
Provenance: Prince collection, 1990s-2014; Ex. Charles Ede Ltd. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.

Estimate: GBP 4500 - 9000