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Egyptian cowroid

Price: on request
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Object number
AR2678-16
Object: Egyptian cowroid with pseudo hieroglyphs

Material: Steatite.

Period: Second Intermediate Period of ancient Egypt,
13th to 17th dynasty,
circa 1648 BC to 1550 BC.

Description:    Seal in cowrie shape, called cowroid. A variant of the famous Egpytian scarabs. A drill hole along the long axis could be used to string the piece as an amulet. The underside is engraved and the impression shows pseudo hieroglyphs: basket sign (for "Lord") and papyrus trees.

Dimensions: 15.5mm length.

Condition: Apart from small chips and minor wear of the surface the seal is in very good condition.

Provenance: Acquired by us in 2019 on the Paris art market. Previously in the swiss collection Bouvier which was formed over 2 generations. Acquired for the collection by its founder Prof. Maurice Bouvier between 1929 and 1959 in Egypt.

Maurice Bouvier (1901 - 1981) studied law in Neuchatel and was appointed as a professor by the government of Egypt in 1929. First he taught at the University of Assiut and later at the University of Cairo where he discovered his passion for the history of Ancient Egypt. In 1943, Bouvier moved to Alexandria where he taught law until 1959. After ending his professional career, he moved to the village of Gruyeres in Switzerland in 1959, where he spent his retirement.
During the 30 years in Egypt between 1929 and 1959, Prof. Bouvier built a comprehensive collection of Egyptian art with artefacts from Prehistoric Egypt, the Pharaonic and Roman era as well as many Coptic and Islamic antiquities. In 1959, he brought his collection to Switzerland. Prof. Bouvier's collection was recognized in professional circles, many objects including the gold jewellery offered here were on exhibition in important European museums. After Mr. Bouvier passed away in 1981, his son and heir took over the vast collection, thoroughly taking care of the artefacts until they were released into the art market again in 2019 in a series of auctions.

Literature: Richard H. Wilkinson, Egyptian Scarabs, Shire Egyptology (2008).

Authenticity: We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.