17 - A RED QUARTZITE HEAD OF A PRIEST, EARLY PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, CIRCA 4TH CENTURY BC

A RED QUARTZITE HEAD OF A PRIEST, EARLY PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, CIRCA 4TH CENTURY BC Egypt. Sensitively carved with a tall, rounded, and shaven head, the face with almond-shaped eyes framed by defined lids beneath gently arched brows, a prominent nose, and finely delineated lips forming a restrained smile. The cheeks taper toward a rounded chin, the ears prominently rendered. The polished stone is of a warm, earthy red tone with scattered paler areas. Provenance: The Mirošević-Sorgo collection, acquired circa 1930-1940, and thence by descent in the family to the previous owners based in London, United Kingdom. Martin Doustar, Brussels, Belgium, acquired from the above. The Mirošević-Sorgo family belonged to the Croatian nobility of Dubrovnik and emigrated to the United Kingdom during the 1940s. Among its members was Count Nikola Mirošević-Sorgo (1885-1966), who served as ambassador to the Vatican for the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during the Second World War and, over several decades, assembled a notable and varied collection of Old Master paintings and icons, silver, Classical antiquities, and decorative arts. Martin Doustar is a Brussels-based art dealer and collector whose career spans more than two decades. He began his professional journey in the early 2000s with a focus on Modern Art, developing a keen interest in the ways early twentieth-century artists were influenced by ‘primitive’ art from Africa and Oceania. Over time, his connoisseurship expanded into archaeological and ethnographic fields, with particular expertise in the ancient arts of the Pacific, Africa, and pre-Columbian America, while also encompassing Asian material culture and modern masterpieces. He is the author of numerous scholarly catalogs and has organized thematic exhibitions on a wide range of subjects. Condition: Very good condition with expected wear, traces of weathering and erosion, small chips, old fills, and light surface scratches. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into minor hairline cracks. Weight: 200 g (excl. stand), 1.1 kg (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 6.4 cm (excl. stand), 16.3 cm (incl. stand) With an associated metal stand. (2) This piece depicts a priest from the Ptolemaic Period. Statues of bald-headed men of this type are known as ‘egg-heads’. The head is slightly elongated and the cranial bone structure is often well defined. The face is sensitively modeled and we are left with an image that evokes a real face, even if it is not a representation of any one particular model. Features could be recombined to create a more realistic face, and we cannot assume that this piece is a true portrait of a particular individual. The shaven head is a characteristic feature of Egyptian priestly imagery, associated with the requirements of ritual purity observed by those serving the gods. Priests shaved their heads and bodies as part of these practices, and the convention appears in sculpture well before the Ptolemaic period. In the present head, the pronounced cranial dome contrasts with the delicately articulated features and restrained smile, lending individual character to an established sculptural type. Literature comparison: Compare a related Egyptian silicified sandstone male head, dated 4 th century BC, 8.5 cm high, in the Musée du Louvre, inventory number E 10712. Compare a related Egyptian silicified sandstone male head, dated Dynasty 30, 16.5 cm high, in the Musée du Louvre, inventory number E 22760. Compare a closely related Egyptian red quartzite or basalt male head, dated 4th century BC or later, 6.9 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2021.41.154. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s London, 6 December 2016, lot 134 Price: GBP 68,750 or approx. EUR 112,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An Egyptian red quartzite head of a priest, early Ptolemaic period, circa 4th century BC Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, stone, and manner of carving with similar facial features. Note the much larger size (22.5 cm).