Ancient Egyptian headrest uncovered in Surrey!

The forthcoming Catherine Southon Auctioneers & Valuers sale of Antiques & Collectables will be held on Wednesday 2nd February 2022 and comprises over 650 lots.

The auction includes a fascinating single owner collection.

One of the highlights of the collection is a rare Ancient Egyptian headrest (lot 43) uncovered by our team. This unexpected important discovery will be offered with an estimate of £6,000 – 8,000.

The headrest, which is over 4000 years old, dates to the 6th dynasty - 2360-2195 B.C - headrests were part of Ancient Egyptian culture for over 2,500 years. Used during sleep they were placed on mattresses to help raise the head, keeping the neck and head cool.

After death, these pieces were taken to their owner’s tombs to be placed with their Mummies for use in the afterlife. Headrests were believed to protect the sleeper both in life and death.

This particularly beautiful piece of antiquity is carved under the pillow with a pair of slender hands in shallow relief. A very similar example can be found in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, USA and another example carved with hands can be found in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

The sale also includes a further piece of antiquity being an Ancient Egyptian sandstone fragment of a goddess (lot 42).