47 - Large Egyptian Blue Faience Taweret Vessel. Provided Taweret s Protective Powers during Childbirth and Maternity

Large Egyptian Blue Faience Taweret Vessel. Provided Taweret s Protective Powers during Childbirth and Maternity Late Period, 26th Dynasty, 664-525 B.C. Composite animal figure with a hippopotamus's head and body, a crocodile's tail, and a human torso with arms, topped with a finely striated tripartite wig; the right hand, positioned beneath the left nipple, encloses a drilled hole connecting to the hollow body; a hole at the top of the head; mounted on a custom-made stand. Cf. Guichard, H. (dir.), Des animaux et des pharaons, le r gne animal dans l' gypte ancienne, Paris, 2014, p. 194, ill. p. 194, no. 165, for a similar vessel in the Louvre (inv. no. E 14232). 160 grams total, 17.3 cm including stand (6 3/4 in.). [A video of this lot is available to view on TimeLine Auctions Website] (For this specific lot, 5% import VAT is applicable on the hammer price.) Ex private French collection, since the early 1990s. Acquired from Galerie Reiner, rue Bonaparte, Paris. Artcurial, Paris, 6 November 2013, no.55. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan. Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.150578. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13189-249212. The vessel s shape indicates it was likely used in magical and libationary rituals meant to invoke Taweret s protective powers during childbirth and maternity. Usually depicted as a female hippopotamus with lion-like arms and legs and a crocodile s back and tail, Taweret remains one of the most distinctive and recognisable deities in the Egyptian pantheon. Her name comes from the Egyptian word for great or large (t?w?rt), emphasising her powerful and protective nature. TimeLine Auctions follows a rigorous vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists. See our website for more information.