Lot 147

Egyptian Faience Bead Necklace - Wedjat Eye of Horus Amulet

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Lot 147
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Egyptian Faience Bead Necklace - Wedjat Eye of Horus Amulet
Egyptian Faience Bead Necklace - Wedjat Eye of Horus Amulet
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Egyptian Faience Bead Necklace - Wedjat Eye of Horus Amulet

Estimate: $700 - $1,000

Starting Bid: $350

(0 Bids)
by Artemis Fine Arts
August 6, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Egypt, Late Dynastic to Roman period, ca. 664 BCE – 395 CE. A supple strand of ancient Egyptian faience beads, their glazes ranging from turquoise and pale green to russet and near-black, gathered around a small wedjat amulet, the protective Eye of Horus. The beads are predominantly cylindrical and disc forms, their tin-glazed silica bodies still holding the cool, watery blue-green that the Egyptians prized as a color of rebirth and fertility. Faience of this kind adorned the living and accompanied the dead, worn for its apotropaic power as much as its beauty. The wedjat at the center, emblem of healing, wholeness, and divine watchfulness, was among the most enduring of all Egyptian amulets. The ancient elements have been restrung on a modern strand with a lobster-claw clasp, rendering an artifact of the Nile wearable once more. Size of pendant: 0.5" W x 0.3" H (1.3 cm W x 0.8 cm H); of necklace: 16.25" L (41.3 cm L).

Egyptian faience is not clay but a self-glazing quartz paste: ground silica mixed with alkaline salts and copper compounds, which migrate to the surface during firing to yield the characteristic blue-green sheen. The Egyptians called it tjehnet, "that which shines," associating its luminous color with the life-giving waters of the Nile and the regenerative power of the sun.

The wedjat, or Eye of Horus, recalls the myth in which Horus lost his eye in combat with Seth and had it restored by Thoth. As a symbol of healing and completeness, it was among the commonest of funerary and personal amulets, placed on the body of the deceased and worn by the living to ward off harm.

Provenance: private Arden, North Carolina, USA collection; ex-Palmyra Heritage Gallery, acquired 2025; ex-Secret Eyes Gallery 1970s to1980s

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Item # 203607

  • Condition: Ancient beads and pendant strung on a modern strand to be wearable. Expected age wear with some rubbing to pendant and some chips and abrasions to beads. Otherwise, very nice with vibrant pigments and liberal remaining detail.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000