Collecting can throw up strange anomalies, one of them being that the Ancient Egyptian rituals of death have, ironically, given long life to that culture’s artefacts.

The Egyptians placed vast numbers of artefacts in their tombs — from everyday objects, which they believed would be needed in the afterlife, to pieces that were created especially for the tombs — with the result that a great deal has been preserved to the present day.

And many are affordable. Charles Ede, the London-based gallery, has published a new catalogue and it is still possible to buy, for example, an amulet of the god Khnum for £650. Even so, that is a great deal more than it would have cost a few decades ago.

“Egyptian antiquities really became popular among collectors in 1972, when the British Museum staged the Tutankhamun exhibition,” says James Ede, the gallery’s owner. “Since then, prices for the good Egyptian antiquities have appreciated by 20 to 50 times.”

However, he is quick to emphasise that no one should buy these pieces as an investment, rather as an object to be greatly loved.

The pieces in the new catalogue are exquisite. Egyptian antiquities are classed from the predynastic era of 3500BC until about 500BC. “The afterlife was of paramount importance,” Mr Ede explains. “They would place ushabti — meaning ‘answerer’ — figures in their tombs to serve them in the afterlife . Initially they would have only two, but in time this grew until they would have had at least one for each day of the year and then they even introduced figures of overseer ushabti.”

Mr Ede has several ushabti in the new catalogue. No 7 is a rare and beautiful piece, hand-carved out of limestone. It is in excellent condition and its colour has not deteriorated. The piece dates from about 1200BC and on it a carved inscription in hieroglyphics gives the name of its owner: “The chief scribe and master of the house, Hormin”. The price is a hefty £55,000.

No 16 in the catalogue is a faïence ushabti, with a quartz-paste glaze of bright cobalt-blue — a colour associated with the afterlife. Its owner was the son of Ramses IX and, with only three existing ushabtiknown to have belonged to him, the £12,000 price tag is no surprise.

Also featured in the catalogue is a bronze of the catheaded goddess Bastet. “Its features are remarkably lifelike,” Mr Ede says. “Although the Egyptians did put figures of their gods in the tombs, this may have come from a private chapel.” The price is £45,000.

Also of great interest are four limestone canopic jars designed to hold the viscera of the deceased. During mummification the heart was left intact, while the brain was removed and destroyed. The liver, lungs, stomach and intestines, however, were taken out and put into the four pots. These represented the four sons of Horus, the four points of the compass and the four protective goddesses. The set costs £37,500.

There is also a great deal to tempt the more modest collector. A delicate apple-green faïence of Thoth, the ibis-headed scribe of the gods, is only £900, while an amulet of Tauert, the pregnant hippopotamus goddess of childbirth, is £950.

It is astonishing to look at some of the pieces in the catalogue and reflect that they have existed for 5,000 years. There are two jars from about 3100BC, decorated in a naïve style. No 40 depicts an aloe tree and is priced at £2,900, while No 39, shows the River Nile with hills rising above it and is priced at £9,750.

The catalogue features 50 objects in total and although the items will be on sale for the next month, the gallery has limited opening hours so it is best to ring in advance.

Charles Ede: 020-7493 4944, www.charlesede.com

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