Egyptian Carved Limestone Relief Panel, New Kingdom, Ramesside Period, 1550-1070 B.C. A rectangular limestone relief bearing the body of a high-ranking male dignitary facing right and the head and upper torso of a woman behind him to the left, most probably his wife; both figures carved in low-relief, set within a sunken area; the male figure wearing a short wig consisting of overlapping locks and an elaborate garment with ample pleated sleeves, usekh collar resting over the garment, holding a sekhem sceptre, a symbol of his high rank, in his right hand, extending his raised left hand possibly towards an offering table which is not visible; the female figure embracing the man with her left hand and holding his right arm with her right hand, wearing an elaborately braided wig, a long robe with ample sleeves and a Broad Collar; mounted on a custom-made display stand. Cf. Malek, J. ed., Egyptian Art, Phaidon Press Ltd, 1999, pp.242-243, for a comparable relief; Fischer, H.G., 'A Chair of the Early New Kingdom' in Egyptian Studies III: Varia Nova, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1996, pp.141-176; Giovetti, P. and Picchi, D., Egitto, splendore millenario: La collezione di Leiden a Bologna, Skira, Milano, 2015; Staring, N., 'The Late Eighteenth Dynasty Tomb of Ry at Saqqara (reign of Tutankhamun). Horemheb's Chief of Bowmen and Overseer of Horses Contextualised' in Rivista del Museo Egizio. 22.7 kg, 52 cm wide (20 1/2 in.). French collection, 1990s-early 2000s. with Chochon-Barré Marie Auction, Paris, France, 10 February 2016, lot 77. From an important Paris gallery, France. Ex private Parisian collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Alberto Maria Pollastrini. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.114476-194061. The couple are probably seated on the traditional lion-legged chairs, a not infrequent occurrence in New Kingdom funerary reliefs (Fischer, 1996, pp.145-148). This fragmentary relief is connected with the iconographical program which was popular in the tombs and on the funerary stelae commissioned by private persons during the New Kingdom. We can mention for example the relief of Merymery, 18th Dynasty (RMO-Leiden, AP 6-b; Giovetti and Picchi, 2015, pp.260-263, 529) and the relief of Ry, late 18th Dynasty (Ägyptisches Museum ÄM 7278; Staring, 2020). [A video of this lot is available to view on Timeline Auctions Website]