5 - AN EGYPTIAN BRONZE HEAD OF A CAT, LATE PERIOD

AN EGYPTIAN BRONZE HEAD OF A CAT, LATE PERIOD Egypt, c. 664-332 BC. Hollow-cast, with alert expression, the angular face with deeply-set elongated eyes, the radiating whiskers finely incised above the closed mouth, pierced upright ears with gold earrings and incised tufts as horizontal striations to the edges. The bronze with a naturally grown patina, enlivened by vibrant malachite encrustations and patches of cuprite, creating a striking mottled effect reminiscent of the coat of a spotted feline. Provenance: The private collection of George Embiricos, acquired in the 1950s-1960s. With Rupert Wace Ancient Art, London, United Kingdom. A private collection in London, UK, acquired from the above in 2001. George Embiricos (1920-2011) was a Greek shipping magnate and distinguished art collector who assembled an exceptionally broad collection spanning Old Master, Impressionist, modern, and contemporary art, as well as Classical antiquities. He began collecting seriously after moving to New York in the late 1940s and continued to acquire works over several decades, eventually displaying many of them in his home in Lausanne, Switzerland. His collection was noted for both its quality and remarkable range, including major works by El Greco, Goya, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Picasso, and Francis Bacon. Among the most celebrated works in his collection was Paul Cézanne’s The Card Players, reportedly sold in 2011 to the Qatari royal family for an estimated USD 259-320 million, at the time widely reported as the highest price ever paid for a painting. Rupert Wace (b. 1955) has been a leading figure in the world of Antiquities for over forty years. A collector at heart and sometime dealer by profession, Wace's expertise ranges from ancient Egypt and the Classical world to the Near East. His clients include international collectors and many of the world's leading museums, including the British Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, among others. He is a longstanding member of The Antiquities Dealer's Association (ADA) and currently sits on the board of the International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art (IADAA). Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Old wear, obvious losses, casting irregularities, and repairs to the snout with stabilization to the interior. The gold earrings renewed. Overall with a naturally grown patina, showing distinct cuprite and malachite encrustations. Weight: 95.8 g (excl. stand), 245.3 g (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 5.5 cm (excl. stand), 12 cm (incl. stand) Mounted on a fitted wood stand. (2) Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 13 October 2020, lot 14 Price: USD 27,500 or approx. EUR 31,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An Egyptian bronze cat head, Late Period Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, expression, and gold earrings. Note the similar size (7.9 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s London, 6 December 2017, lot 93 Price: GBP 32,500 or approx. EUR 52,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An Egyptian bronze cat head, Late Period Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, expression, and size (8.4 cm). Due to length restriction on Drouot this entry is shortened. For full description please visit www.zacke.at.