Lot 964
Blue Glass Inlay of Ba-Bird, Set in Modern Gold Pendant. Egypt, Late Dynastic or Ptolemaic, c. 400-100 BC. The glass a dark royal blue, molded, with lapidary work for the details. The Ba-Bird in profile right, with small human face and long hair. Aside from some losses at the feet and tail, the glass in very fine condition, the details sharp, but now mostly with brownish patina. The gold pendant backing appears to be 18 or 20 karat. Height: 1-1/2". Rare in glass.
Estimated Value $1,100 - 1,500.
The ancient Egyptians envisioned the Ba, or soul, of the deceased as a human-headed bird, with the bird resembling a raptor -- perhaps a hawk. It was endowed with the person's individuality and personality. The Ba could leave the tomb, fly about the land of the living, and then return to the mummy in its coffin. The Ba had to revisit the tomb of the deceased, for the dead body was its rightful home.
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