Prior to the New Kingdom, The Book of the Dead was only available to the royalty and the elite. The popularity of the Osiris Myth in the period of the New Kingdom made people believe the spells were indispensible because Osiris featured so prominently in the soul’s judgment in the afterlife. As more and more people desired their own Book of the Dead, scribes obliged them and the book became just another commodity produced for sale.
In the same way that publishers in the present day offer Print on Demand books or self-published works, the scribes offered different “packages” to clients to choose from. They could have as few or as many spells in their books as they could afford. Bunson writes, “The individual could decide the number of chapters to be included, the types of illustrations, and the quality of the papyrus used. The individual was limited only by his or her financial resources” (48).
From the New Kingdom through the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323 – 30 BCE) The Book of the Dead was produced this way. It continued to vary in form and size until c. 650 BCE when it was fixed at 190 uniform spells but, still, people could add or subtract what they wanted to from the text. A Book of the Dead from the Ptolemaic Dynasty which belonged to a woman named Tentruty had the text of The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys attached to it which was never included as part of the Book of the Dead. Other copies of the book continued to be produced with more or less spells depending on what the buyer could afford. The one spell which every copy seems to have had, however, was Spell 125.
Featured here are several papyrus fragments of the Egyptian Book of the Dead from Egypt’s Ptolemaic Era (305 – 30 BCE). Examining Egyptian art during these 300 years reveals strong continuities in its traditions but also interactions with Greek art, whose forms and styles swept the world with Alexander’s armies. The encounter of the two cultures had many aspects and phases, and is easiest to comprehend by looking first at the new ruling class, its involvements and concerns, and then at religion and the arts in the greater land of Egypt.
The initial in white, yellow, and blue, the shape of the ‘Q’ formed by an elaborate interlace pattern of white-vine scroll outlined in red, the infill with stylised foliage against a ground of green, 45 lines of text written in a handsome rounded protogothic transitional script in two columns, incipits in uncials touched red, initials in red (approximately 50 words, or 10 lines, trimmed from the bottom of each column, verso with adhesive stains to upper margin, not affecting the text). In a modern cloth binding. The recto opens with the end of thestandard Lucan prologue and continues with the beginning of Luke’s Gospel (Luke 1:1-25) — ‘Quoniam quidam multi conati sunt’; the verso continues with Luke 1:29-76. The layout of the text is unusual and interesting: verse 1 is here treated as the start of the book; often verses 1-4, the Dedication to Theophilus, are treated as a prologue, and verse 5 as the start of the Gospel proper. Both theMagnificat and the Benedictus, two of the six biblical canticles that were sung every week in all monasteries, are here written with enlarged red initials, their incipits in rustic capitals touched with red dots, and with left-justified red initials at the start of each phrase. The first lines of verses 18, 56, and 57 are treated similarly. The abstract, stylised design of the initial, with its intricate white-vine pattern and stark palette of primary colours testifies to the influence in Romanesque decoration of pre-Christian ornamental traditions. The fine example in the present leaf is closely reminiscent of an initial ‘A’ cut from another Romanesque bible, now at the Free Library in Philadelphia (Lewis E M 16:10)
This schist wing, dating from the Achaemenid period circa 500–300 BC and measuring approximately 27.5 centimeters, exemplifies the sophisticated craftsmanship and symbolic motifs of the era. The carved stone fragment depicts a stylized wing, notable for its intricate workmanship and symbolic significance. Central to the design is a finely incised and carefully modeled relief of a phoenix, a mythological bird emblematic of renewal, immortality, and divine protection—an iconic motif in Persian art. The detailed depiction demonstrates the skillful use of incisions and relief carving, highlighting the artisans’ mastery of stonework.
Originally, this fragment would have been part of an elaborate furniture decoration, potentially serving as a decorative panel or ornament within a throne, throne room, or ceremonial setting. The use of schist, a durable and locally sourced stone, reflects both aesthetic preferences and the technical capabilities of Achaemenid artisans. The phoenix motif underscores themes of rebirth and divine authority, aligning with the rich iconography prevalent in Persian cultural and religious symbolism.
Today, this fragment preserves the fine craftsmanship and sophisticated iconography characteristic of Achaemenid decorative arts. Its preserved details provide valuable insights into the visual language and ceremonial ornamentation of the Persian elite, illustrating the grandeur and symbolic complexity that adorned the architecture and surroundings of the ruling class in the ancient empire. REFERENCE #
From the Achaemenid period, particularly between circa 800-500 BC, numerous luxury vessels and ritual objects such as wine bowls are depicted in reliefs and artifacts recovered from excavations. These portrayals suggest that artisans began by shaping the vessel from a solid mass of silver, using a combination of chasing, hammering, and possibly casting techniques. The process would have involved roughing out the basic form, which was likely then refined through meticulous hammering and filing to achieve a symmetrical and balanced shape.
The large wine bowl in question exhibits a broad, rounded profile with a wide opening, designed to facilitate the pouring and serving of wine during banquets or ceremonial occasions. Its surface is decorated with intricate engraved motifs, which may include geometric patterns, stylized florals, or mythological symbols, indicative of the sophisticated ornamentation favored by Achaemenid artisans. These engravings would have been executed with precise metal tools, emphasizing symmetry and aesthetic harmony.
This vessel was crafted from silver, a metal highly prized in Persian courtly culture for its brilliance and symbolic association with purity and wealth. The silvery sheen and fine workmanship would have signified the high status of its owner, most likely a noble or a member of the royal court. The rim of the bowl is reinforced and slightly everted, suggesting a functional consideration to prevent damage and facilitate handling.
The craftsmanship and fine detailing of this bowl reflect a high level of technological skill, characteristic of the Achaemenid metallurgists. Such a substantial vessel was probably used in prestigious contexts, including royal banquets or religious rituals, serving both a utilitarian and decorative purpose.
CAROLINGIAN COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS, in Latin, two bifolia from a MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Italy, 9th century] 280 x 380mm. 4 leaves (2 bifolia), ruled in blind, preserving most of two columns per page, each with 27 lines written in Carolingian minuscule in brown ink, numerous initials in two sizes in red (recovered from a binding, and thus very worn on one side of each bifolium, and with significant losses on three sides). In an archival folder. Provenance: Sotheby’s, 19 June 1990, lot 1. Legible passages of text consist of short phrases of Psalm 67: verses 6, 9-14, 16-17, 19, 22, and 25, presented as short lemmata interspersed by passages of commentary. The eight pages appear to be textually consecutive and would therefore originally have been the central two bifolia of their gathering. THE COMMENTARY IS THUS FAR UNIDENTIFIED, AND PERHAPS NOT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED. In the 9th century there were three main commentaries on the Psalms: Augustine’s Ennarationes in Psalmos, Cassiodorus’s Expositio Psalmorum, and Pseudo-Jerome’s Breviarium; the present fragment is none of these. Other much rarer ones were the Glossa ex traditionum seniorum, Bede’s Titulatio, and the commentary found in the Mondsee Psalter. See M. Gibson, ‘Carolingian Glossed Psalters’, in R. Gameson, ed., The Early Medieval Bible: Its Production, Decoration and Use, Cambridge, 1994, esp. pp.96
Three Leaves From A Decorated Manuscript On Vellum [Italy, Early Fourteenth Century]
3 leaves (a bifolium and a singleton), each 310mm. by 215mm., single column, 30 lines in black ink in a fine and professional university hand, capitals touched in red, paragraph marks alternately in red or blue, running titles in red “L[iber]” and “Phy[sica]” at head of each leaf, some early erasures and corrections, small flaws in vellum and occasional stains, else in fine condition.
Reference #
MS_BZ_1011
Civilization
Byzantine, Medieval, 1400 C.E.
Size
H. 31 cm x W. 21.5 cm
Condition
Some early erasures and corrections, small flaws in vellum and occasional stains, else in fine condition.
Price
Price available upon request
Provenance
Baidun Collection, acquired at Sotheby’s sale December 2013
