Didier Attaix

Hi again Ursus, JeandAcre and Kali,

I guess my second coin, almost erased has no value. 

What's about the first one? Is it a rare one? (see attached pictures).

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Best,

Didier

Hi Ursus, JeandAcre and Kali,

Many thanks for your replies,

All the best,

Didier

Hi everybody,

In reply to Jazz numismatics,

I agree that the Corning Museum did not say it was not authentic. But they shared my opinion on this puzzling artefact., which is presumably not Romano-Egyptian. Islamic? possibly. I continue to research on this artefact and will soon contact another American Museum with a superb glass collection. 

I hate buying artefacts that I do not understand, this is for me my very first priority, but unfortunately many collectors do not do this. My second priority is to learn about the technique used, as they are so many!

Best,

Didier

Hi everybody,

When browsing again the Egyptian amulet collection of the Walters arts Museum, I found these two I never came across:

https://art.thewalters.org/detail/6999/pantheistic-deity-pendant/

https://art.thewalters.org/detail/17729/head-of-a-crocodile/

Best,

Didier
 

On 5/10/2024 at 10:42 PM, JeandAcre said:

Shoot, condolences, @Didier Attaix.  But it's never anything but encouraging when you find dealers whose ethics only surpass their level of expertise (in any given context ...however arcane).

No problem, I was refunded of half my buying price as I did ask to Chris Martin. Whatever this artefact is, this is for me a masterpiece, because of this: 

The inlay is not flat as usually, 1. The nose is in relief, 2. The upper face is convex, 3. It is made of two layers of glass, the lower one being translucent, and 4. Six

colours were used: green, black, yellow, orange/red, translucent, the pupils being dark red. L 1.6 cm.

Hello everybody,

You might remember my previous post concerning a very bizarre inlay I bought from Chris Martin in London (chairman of ADA). I painfully restored it correctly, see attached picture below.

I had doubts concerning Chris Martin's description as Romano-Egyptian. Thus, I did contact the Corning glass Museum to get an advice. I am copying their reply below, which clearly indicated that this artefact is not an antiquity:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thus, I forwarded this message to Chris Martin, asking for a refund of half my buying price, since I decided to keep this artefact, whatever it is. I was immediately refunded via my PayPal account, as expected, confirming that Chris Martin is highly reliable.

Best,

Didier

Hello everybody.

I am not sure Bron is on Numis Forums, but he is for sure on https://groups.io/g/AncientArtifacts/post                   

His email address is: collectorantiquities@fastmail.fm        

I know him very well, we met twice in London. He will certainly give you an expert advice on your scarabs and identify fakes.

All the best,

Didier

Hi Jean d'Acre,

The main criterions in authenticating genuine Egyptian amulets are based on my personal experience. I had the chance to repeatedly visit the best Egyptian museums worldwide, and I have an elephant visual memory. I went to London every year for at least 25 years, when I was active. I did realize in this period that the British Museum was providing free advices. Thus, I met successively two curators John Taylor and Marcel Marée. Both were highly helpful, because they precisely identified artefacts I was totally unable to describe.

Coming back to your interest in scarabs or scaraboids. I have only a few ones, not bad (see attachments). If you find a nice one to buy, contact Bron who is by far the expert in this group.

Best,

Didier

Carnelian_scarab.doc Steatite_scarab.doc Negroid_scaraboid.doc

Hi everybody,

This post is for members who do not believe that you can buy genuine Egyptian antiquities on eBay. 

To buy antiquities on eBay requires some experience. 98 % of the so called ‘Egyptian antiquities' are fakes. Indeed I bought 4 fakes on eBay: 3 on eBay UK and one on eBay Germany. I made claims and was always fully refunded. 

Amulets_faience_and_glass_artefacts_copie.docx

Do not worry, I am not attaching in my posts any document with a worm.

Best,

Didier

Hi everybody,

The first attached example is a bronze Osiris.

The two following ones (Tutu and Janiform Pataikos), attached are faience amulets.

As you will see the tetrasodium salt EDTA procedure does not make any damage, preserves patina and reveals much further details. The value (if any in my attached documents) are for my son, who loves my collection. However, Romain has absolutely no idea of their value.

All the best,

Didier
 

Bronze_Osiris.docx Tutu_amulet.docx Janiform_Pataikos_amulet.doc

Hello everybody,

Ending up with a restoration period, I did restore today a very rare Tutu Egyptian amulet (see attachment). I bought it for nuts (€50 including S&H by direct offer to the seller Arqueo Mundis, i.e. Galeria Felix Cervera, Carrer Consell de Cent, 286, 08007 Barcelona, Spain).

ll the very best,

Didier

Tutu_amulet.docx

You can add mine to this collection!

All the best,

Didier

I did refine the restoration of my glass inlay. Below is the very final result. For this kind of intervention you must be very patient and meticulous.

All the best,

Didier

Thank you for your detailed reply, I did appreciate, and fully trust you!

Best regards,

Didier

Hello everybody,

This one was also bought in Turkey in the 70s by my life partner, Josiane. She thought she'd thrown it away, believing it to be a fake, but she found it again.
I gently cleaned the bronze. It seems to me to be a Hadrianus coin. The diameter is 4 cm, the weight 20 g.

Any reply would be appreciated.

Yours sincerely

Didier

Again, Many thanks, I really appreciated

All the best,

Didier

Many thanks for your detailed reply, I really appreciated.

All the best,

Didier

Hello,

I also have two Byzantine coins with no idea of what they are. I am attaching two docx documents so that after opening them you can stretch the images. 

Any comment will be wellcome.

All the best,

Didier

Byzantine_coin1.docx Byzantine_coin2.docx

Yes it could be, but unfortunately I did not find any close parallel, and this is not a pendant...

Hello everybody,

I have 2 Roman coins. Any comment will be appreciated.

I am attaching the 2 docx documents so that you can stretch the images provided.

All the best,

Didier

Roman_Aurelianus_coin.docx Roman_coin.docx

I did repair correctly the inlay, see attachment. This was not a piece of cake, especially reattaching the rolling nose. 

All the best,

Didier

I suspect the inlay has amuletic purpose, but this is only a speculation. 

Best,

Didier

I agree with your opinion. I told Hussam that it was a Seth amulet, but he did not change his erroneous description in his COA (attached below). 

However, I strongly believe Hussam to be a much more trustable seller than both Christie's and Bonhams. They are unfortunately selling (very few, I admit) fakes but at rocket prices to unexperienced buyers 😠 🥵

Have a nice day,

Didier