[MSN] From here to eternity: Egyptian artefacts

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 From here to eternity: Egyptian artefacts
Virginia Blackburn on Ancient Egyptian artefacts for the afterlife
April 14, 2007


Collecting can throw up strange anomalies, one of them being that the 
Ancient Egyptian rituals of death have, ironically, given long life to 
that culture’s artefacts.

The Egyptians placed vast numbers of artefacts in their tombs — from 
everyday objects, which they believed would be needed in the afterlife, 
to pieces that were created especially for the tombs — with the result 
that a great deal has been preserved to the present day.

And many are affordable. Charles Ede, the London-based gallery, has 
published a new catalogue and it is still possible to buy, for example, 
an amulet of the god Khnum for £650. Even so, that is a great deal more 
than it would have cost a few decades ago.

“Egyptian antiquities really became popular among collectors in 1972, 
when the British Museum staged the Tutankhamun exhibition,” says James 
Ede, the gallery’s owner. “Since then, prices for the good Egyptian 
antiquities have appreciated by 20 to 50 times.”

However, he is quick to emphasise that no one should buy these pieces as 
an investment, rather as an object to be greatly loved.

The pieces in the new catalogue are exquisite. Egyptian antiquities are 
classed from the predynastic era of 3500BC until about 500BC. “The 
afterlife was of paramount importance,” Mr Ede explains. “They would 
place /ushabti/ — meaning ‘answerer’ — figures in their tombs to serve 
them in the afterlife /./ Initially they would have only two, but in 
time this grew until they would have had at least one for each day of 
the year and then they even introduced figures of overseer /ushabti/.”

Mr Ede has several /ushabti/ in the new catalogue. No 7 is a rare and 
beautiful piece, hand-carved out of limestone. It is in excellent 
condition and its colour has not deteriorated. The piece dates from 
about 1200BC and on it a carved inscription in hieroglyphics gives the 
name of its owner: “The chief scribe and master of the house, Hormin”. 
The price is a hefty £55,000.

No 16 in the catalogue is a faïence /ushabti/, with a quartz-paste glaze 
of bright cobalt-blue — a colour associated with the afterlife. Its 
owner was the son of Ramses IX and, with only three existing 
/ushabti/known to have belonged to him, the £12,000 price tag is no 
surprise.

Also featured in the catalogue is a bronze of the catheaded goddess 
Bastet. “Its features are remarkably lifelike,” Mr Ede says. “Although 
the Egyptians did put figures of their gods in the tombs, this may have 
come from a private chapel.” The price is £45,000.

Also of great interest are four limestone canopic jars designed to hold 
the viscera of the deceased. During mummification the heart was left 
intact, while the brain was removed and destroyed. The liver, lungs, 
stomach and intestines, however, were taken out and put into the four 
pots. These represented the four sons of Horus, the four points of the 
compass and the four protective goddesses. The set costs £37,500.

There is also a great deal to tempt the more modest collector. A 
delicate apple-green faïence of Thoth, the ibis-headed scribe of the 
gods, is only £900, while an amulet of Tauert, the pregnant hippopotamus 
goddess of childbirth, is £950.

It is astonishing to look at some of the pieces in the catalogue and 
reflect that they have existed for 5,000 years. There are two jars from 
about 3100BC, decorated in a naïve style. No 40 depicts an aloe tree and 
is priced at £2,900, while No 39, shows the River Nile with hills rising 
above it and is priced at £9,750.

The catalogue features 50 objects in total and although the items will 
be on sale for the next month, the gallery has limited opening hours so 
it is best to ring in advance.

*Charles Ede:* 020-7493 4944, www.charlesede.com

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