Description

Egyptian Wooden Head of an Ibis. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, circa 664-30 B.C. Naturalistically carved ibis head from a composite statuette, with carefully detailed beak and eyes; traces of gesso and gilding remain; mounted on a custom-made display stand. Cf. Waziry, M., Vestiges of Ancient Egypt,The Bubasteion Votive Cachette at Saqqara, Houston, 2023, pp.110-11, no. 48, for a complete example showing the wooden rod supporting the back of the head. 116 grams total, 18.5 cm wide (7 1/4 in.). The ibis was sacred to the god Thoth, who was revered for his association with knowledge, writing, and healing. The god also acted as the recorder of the final judgment, which determined whether the deceased had lived a life of virtue. Vast numbers of ibises were mummified in religious centres such as Saqqara and Tuna el-Gebel, where they were offerings to the god and interred in extensive catacombs. American private collection, New York, acquired in London before 2000.

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Egyptian Wooden Head of an Ibis. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, circa 664-30 B.C. Naturalistically carved ibis head from a composite statuette, with carefully detailed beak and eyes; traces of gesso and gilding remain; mounted on a custom-made display stand. Cf. Waziry, M., Vestiges of Ancient Egypt,The Bubasteion Votive Cachette at Saqqara, Houston, 2023, pp.110-11, no. 48, for a complete example showing the wooden rod supporting the back of the head. 116 grams total, 18.5 cm wide (7 1/4 in.). The ibis was sacred to the god Thoth, who was revered for his association with knowledge, writing, and healing. The god also acted as the recorder of the final judgment, which determined whether the deceased had lived a life of virtue. Vast numbers of ibises were mummified in religious centres such as Saqqara and Tuna el-Gebel, where they were offerings to the god and interred in extensive catacombs. American private collection, New York, acquired in London before 2000.

Estimate 1 000 - 1 400 GBP
Starting price 900 GBP

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For sale on Tuesday 03 Sep - 12:00 (BST)
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Monumental Egyptian Stone Head of a Pharaoh. Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C. An over-life-size head of a pharaoh, likely from a monumental sphinx, wearing the royal nemes headdress with a prominent headband and the remains of a rearing uraeus on the brow with a single coil of the body on either side of the cobra’s hood, its tail extending towards the back of the headdress; the large, almond-shaped eyes prominently outlined, and unlike on some portraits, the cosmetic lines do not extend beyond the outer corner; the fragmentary nose almost spanning the width of the small mouth modelled with straight and somewhat pursed lips; mounted on a custom-made display stand. Cf. Stanwick, P., Portraits of the Ptolemies: Greek Kings as Egyptian Pharaohs, Austin, 2002, pp. 67, 103 Cat. A27, for similar. 45.15 kg, 43 cm (17 in.). The presence of tool marks around the neck and sides of the head, contrasting the smooth surface of the face and front part of the headdress, suggests that the sculpture is an unfinished piece. The noticeably heavy brow line is a feature of the 30th Dynasty style, which influenced Ptolemaic royal portraiture (cf. Tomoum, N., The Sculptors' Models of the Late and Ptolemaic Periods, Cairo, 2006, pl.17, for a finished portrait assigned to the 30th Dynasty). The distinctive features of the head are reminiscent of a granite sphinx head discovered at the Egyptian Delta site of Canopus, now housed in the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. Two additional heads, one also from the Canopus region, exhibit similar traits, hinting that this style may be indicative of the artistic output of this Delta region. Private collection, Germany, 1975. European collection, 1980s-late 1990s. By descent from the above to the present owner. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12201-218142. (For this specific lot, 5% import VAT is applicable on the hammer price.) [A video of this lot is available to view on Timeline Auctions Website]