477 - Egyptian Canopic Chest Fragment with Cobras. The Peter Clayton Egyptian Collection (Lots 1-32 & 391-500)

Egyptian Canopic Chest Fragment with Cobras. The Peter Clayton Egyptian Collection (Lots 1-32 & 391-500) Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C. Rectangular panel bearing a frieze depicting a series of rearing cobras wearing sun-disc headdresses. Reisner, G.A., Canopics - Catalogue G n ral des Antiquit s gyptiennes du Mus e du Caire (Nos. 4001 4740 and 4977 5033), Cairo, 1967, pl. LXXXIII, no. 4739, for a comparable cobra frieze on an intact canopic chest. 176 grams, 27 cm (10 5/8 in.). [No Reserve] Ex E.B.W. Chappelow collection, January 1958. From the private collection of Peter Clayton, FCILIP, Dip, Arch, FSA, FRNS, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK; formed since the late 1950s. Accompanied by an old handwritten information card by Peter Clayton, collection no.10. Friezes of rearing cobras at the top of canopic chests served as guardian figures, protecting the visceral containers within. Arguably, the most famous canopic chest, decorated with a frieze of rearing cobras, is the gilded one of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. 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.