40 - An Egyptian Sandstone Relief of a River God

An Egyptian Sandstone Relief of a River God Ptolemaic Period, 304-30 B.C. Width 39 cm (15 3/8 inches). Property from the Estate of Ray Retzlaff, sold to Benefit Charitable Organizations Height 38.5 cm (15 1/8 inches). Provenance: Private Collection (D.V.), Basel. Jean-David Cahn Auction, Basel, Auktion 4, 19 October 2002, Lot 526. Royal Athena Galleries, New York, January 2004 (Art of the Ancient World, vol. XV, p. 52, no. 137). Private Collection, Midwest, United States. Hindman Auctions, Chicago, Ancient Art & Natural History: A Cabinet of Curiosities, 10 November 2022, Lot 64. Depicted here is the Nile God Hapi wearing a crown incorporating papyrus and lotus. In ancient Egypt, Hapi personified the annual inundation of the Nile River. The arrival of fertile soil by-way-of the flood was imperative for growing crops to sustain the economy and livelihood of the ancient Egyptians. For that reason, Hapi was associated with fertility and illustrated as having both male and female bodily attributes, as can be seen on this relief.