With a couple of exceptions, such as the cylinder seal and amulet-seal immediately below, the Egyptian material seems less well chosen and representative of its culture than does the Sumerian or Syrian. Almost all the objects are large, flashy, late dynastic or Ptolemaic items. A collector who purchased most of them feels they have proper patina and are all genuine, but at least one noted American dealer found that the ushabti and many amulets also closely match well known tourist types sold by Middle Eastern “antique” dealers. I have personally examined only three or four of Golf’s Egyptian items, but found those to be proper and genuine, but I tend to agree with the dealer who voiced suspicions about the ushabti and amulets. Egyptian material has been faked for over a century and almost all Egyprtian items in commerce are at best not what they claim to be.

It should be noted that Golf was in the oil business, and Egypt was not an oil producing area then as were Northern and Southern Irak. It is therefore less surprising that Golf’s Egyptian items lack breadth of scope and depth of quality, and the fact that many of the items show a Canaanite or Syrian flavor may indicate acquisition from Syria-Palestine rather than Egypt itself. Even the wonderful cylinder seal of office (G-Egy 1) comes from the border Nome up against Canaan. The eastern delta was an early source of many early Egyptian antiquities in commerce, and a large part of Newberry’s examples came from that location.

G-Egy 1: Steatite Cylinder Seal of a Nomarch of Amememhat III

A very nice and scarce official Egyptian cylinder seal. It bears the cartouche of the Pharaoh Ahmenemhat III, c. 1850-1800 B.C., the last of the great rulers of the 12th Dynasty. The inscription reads: “Beloved of Sobeck, Lord of (Ha)Benu”. This makes it the official seal of the Nomarch of the 14th Nome of Lower Egypt. The Habenu Nome was in the far northeast of Egypt at the edge of Sinai, where the Horus Road to Asia began. This was the main land connection for both trade and immigration of workers. Supposedly Joseph and the other Jews came through Habenu at this time to work in the land of Egypt, and this Nomarch would have been the man to admit them. The immense building projects of Ahmenemhat exceeded the labor supply of Egypt, and both increased trade and labor migration was experienced throughout his reign.

It is carved in black steatite that has hints of Western Asian style, much like Ur III seals. Coming from the borderland Habenu Nome partly explains its style, and the stone blank may even have originally been a Sumerian import. The carving style indicates that it was possibly carved locally rather than supplied by the Pharaoh, and likely late in Ahmenemhat’s reign when the Nomarchs were once again growing more independant. After Ahmenemhat’s death two of his children had short reigns, and then the dynasty collapsed, with the Hyksos invaders later seizing Habenu and all of Lower Egypt for centuries. Newberry’s Egyptian Scarabs shows several other cylinder seals of office for the 14th Nome under earlier pharaohs that read and look the same except for the ruler’s cartouche, and one of them also shows the same bold Asian style of cutting as this one, even in Newberry’s carefully re-drawn plates. Following the 13th Dynasty cylinder seals were rapidly replaced in Egypt by scarabs stamp seals.

The heavily worn ends are usually the result of surface-find seals used by Arab women as ornamental beads. Many of the cylinder seals in commerce come from such Bedouin necklaces.

G-Egy 2: Black Stone Figurine Amulet-Seal

An early New Kingdom period black stone amuletic seal that shows Phoenician influences. The cursive nature of the inscription on the bottom and its coarse style may show unfamiliarity with Egyptian hieroglyphics as well as a new Kingdom date. The figure is likely Bes. In a private collection.

G-Egy 3: A Large, Late Dynastic or Ptolemaic Scarab

Most scarabs are of a similar, c. 15 mm size except for the larger “Heart Scarabs” which, due to their longer text, are several times larger than others. In the late period large, amuletic scarabs appear of which this is one. It is of a fine, translucent and highly polished steatite and has an inscription of the bottom in a decorative style that hints at engraving an unfamiliar script. 60 mm x 48 mm x 18 mm. In a private collection.

G-Egy 4: Glazed Pottery Ushabti

Turquoise blue fading to white glazed ushabti with hieroglyphic inscription. c. 106 mm tall. Location unknown.

G-Egy 5: Glazed Pottery Ushabti

Blue fading to tan glazed ushabti c. 70 mm tall. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 6: Glazed Pottery Ushabti

Deep green glazed ushabti c. 70 mm tall, glaze mostly intact. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 7: Glazed Pottery Ushabti

Medium green glazed ushabti c. 70 mm tall. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 8: Glazed Pottery Ushabti

Turquoise blue fading to white glazed ushabti c. 70 mm tall. Glaze mostly surviving. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 9: Small Stone Ushabti

White stone (alabaster?) ushabti c. 53 mm tall. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 10: Winged Scarab Amulet

Small winged scarab in glazed pottery c. 50 mm wide. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 11: Three-piece Winged Scarab Amulet

A three-piece winged scarab, likely a decorative applique. C. 137 mm wide with attachment holes. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 12: Scarab

Scarab apx. 12 x 16 mm. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 13: Scarab

Scarab apx. 12 x 16 mm. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 14: Scarab

Scarab apx. 12 x 16 mm. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 15: Scarab

Scarab apx. 16 x 20 mm. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 16: Scarab

Scarab apx. 16 x 20 mm. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 17: Scarab

Scarab apx. 16 x 20 mm. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 18: Scarab

Scarab apx. 18 x 22 mm. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 19: Scarab

Scarab apx. 18 x 22 mm. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 20: Scarab

Scarab apx. 18 x 22 mm. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 21: Lamp

Glazed pottery lamp apx. 97 x 59 36 mm. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 22: Lamp

Glazed pottery lamp apx. 81 x 52 27 mm. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 23: Amulet of Tawaret

Stone statue apx. 50 mm tall. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 24: Statuette of Thoth

Stone statue apx. 85 mm tall. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 25: Lotus Amulet

Stone amulet of a lotus bud apx. 40 mm tall. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 26: Double Scroll Amulet

Stone amulet of a double papyrus scroll in color apx. 50 mm wide. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 27: Red Stone Fish Amulet

A red (jasper?) stone amulet of a fish apx. 50 mm tall. New Kingdon to Late Dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 28: Eye Amulet

An eye amulet apx. 55 mm wide. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 29: Amulet

Glazed amulet. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 30: Duck-shaped Stone Weight

A small duck-shaped stone weight with the head turned back. Inscription on the bottom. Duck shaped weights are found around the ancient world from Sumeria to Egypt. This one is c. 40 mm long. New Kingdom to Late Dynastic period. Location unknown.

G-Egy 31:Glazed Amulet

Glazed blue amulet fading to tan. Location unknown.

G-Egy 32: Glazed Crowned Head Amulet

A large-eared face with a three part crown in blue glazed pottery. Apx. 40 mm tall. Location unknown.

G-Egy 33: Glazed Amulet

A small glazed amulet apx. 22 mm wide. Location unknown.

G-Egy 34: Glazed Amulet

A small blue-glazed pottery amulet of a pot or container (?) apx. 22 mm tall. Location unknown.

G-Egy 35: Sun Boat Amulet

A solar sun boat amulet in blue glazed pottery, fading to tan. Size unknown. Location unknown.

G-Egy 36: Date Palm Amulet

Green glazed pottery date palm amulet apx. 52 mm tall. Late dynastic period. Location unknown.