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28th May - Ancient Art

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Lot 5 - Fish dish. Magna Graecia, Apulia, 4th century BC. Ceramics. Provenance: Private collection, Germany. From the estate of Else Kienzle, a pharmacist from Stuttgart, who died in 2006 at the age of 94. Mrs. Kienzle was a passionate collector and presented, among other things, her works of pre-Columbian art. purchased at Galerie Valentin in Stuttgart or brought back from her numerous trips with Hauser between 1950 and 1970. Bibliography: -ARANEGUI GASCO, C. "Los platos de peces y el más allá". Complutum Extra in homage to Professor Manuel Fernandez Miranda. Complutense University of Madrid, 6-1. 1996. pp. 401-41. -CANESSA, Ercole and SAMBON, Arthur. Vases Antiques de Terre Cuite: Collection Canessa. Bibliothèque du Musée. 1904.Paris. n. 141, p. 43. -LEON , Lacroix. La Faune Marine dans la Décoration des Plats à Poissons. Etude sur la Céramique Grecque d'italie Méridionale. Verviers, Belgium. 1937. pl. XXIII. -MAYO , M. The Art of South Italy, Vases from Magna Graecia. Richmond. 1982. -MCPHEE, 1. and TRENDALL, A.D. Greek red-figured fish-plates. Basel. 1987. -SCHEFOLD , K. UNTERSUCHUNGEN, Z.D. Kertscher vasen. Berlin. 1934. p. 138. -TRENDALL , A DY CAMBITOGLOU, A. First Supplement to the Red-Figured Vases of Apulia. London 1983 -TRENDALL , A. D. Red Figure Vases of South Italy and Sicily, London, 1989. Attached thermoluminescence test. Intact. Measurements: 18 cm (diameter). The fish dishes of Greek culture had their bottom embellished with the representation of three large fish. Usually the fish were made using the technique of red figures on a black background, thus creating a completely clear and discernible image that evidenced its function. On this occasion the artist delights in the detail of the gills, scales and fins. Red-figure pottery was one of the most important figurative styles of Greek production. It was developed in Athens around 530 B.C., and was used until the third century B.C. It replaced the previous predominant style of black-figure pottery within a few decades. The technical basis was the same in both cases, but in the red figures the coloring is inverted, the figures being highlighted on a dark background, as if they were illuminated by a theatrical light, following a more natural scheme. Painters working with black figures were forced to keep the motifs well separated from each other and to limit the complexity of the illustration. In contrast, the red-figure technique allowed greater freedom. Each figure was silhouetted against a black background, allowing painters to portray anatomical details with more accuracy and variety. The technique consisted of painting the motifs on the still wet piece, using a transparent varnish that, when fired, acquired an intense black hue. Therefore, the motifs were invisible before firing, which meant that the painters had to work entirely from memory, without being able to see their previous work. Once the piece was fired, the areas not covered by the glaze remained with the reddish tone of the clay, while the glazed areas, the "painted" ones, took on a dense and shiny black color.

Estim. 12 000 - 13 000 EUR

Lot 7 - Sarcophagus fragment; Roman Empire, 3rd century AD. Alabaster. Measurements: 56 x 24 cm. Fragment of Roman sarcophagus of oriental style, carved in half bulk in alabaster and dated in the 3rd century A.D. It represents a female figure standing, naked, with the left arm bent and supported on the hip and the left arm extended to the side. At the feet of the figure we see a vessel with a balustered body. The woman appears standing on an architectural base supported by straight corbels, reminiscent of a classical entablature. The composition is topped by an upper frieze with a relief representation of a fantastic animal in profile, a hybrid beast with the wings and hindquarters of a lion, depicted in an expressive position with its head turned backwards, thanks to the stylized snake neck, which defines an elegant curve. The Romans brought two important novelties to the world of sculpture: the portrait and the historical relief, neither of which existed in the Greek world. However, they followed Greek models for much of their sculptural production, a base that in Rome would be combined with the Etruscan tradition. After the first contacts with the Greece of classicism through the colonies of Magna Graecia, the Romans conquered Syracuse in 212 BC, a rich and important Greek colony located in Sicily, adorned with a large number of Hellenistic works. The city was sacked and its artistic treasures taken to Rome, where the new style of these works soon replaced the Etruscan-Roman tradition that had prevailed until then. Shortly afterwards, in 133 B.C., the Empire inherited the kingdom of Pergamon, where there was an original and thriving school of Hellenistic sculpture. The huge Pergamon Altar, the "Gallus committing suicide" or the dramatic group "Laocoön and his sons" were three of the key creations of this Hellenistic school. On the other hand, after Greece was conquered in 146 B.C. most Greek artists settled in Rome, and many of them devoted themselves to making copies of Greek sculptures, very fashionable at that time in the capital of the Empire. Thus, numerous copies of Praxiteles, Lysippus and classical works of the 5th century B.C. were produced, giving rise to the Neo-Attic school of Rome, the first neoclassical movement in the History of Art. However, between the end of the 2nd century BC and the beginning of the 1st century BC there was a change in this purist Greek trend, which culminated in the creation of a national school of sculpture in Rome, from which emerged works such as the Altar of Aenobarbus, which already introduced a typically Roman narrative concept, which would become a chronicle of daily life and, at the same time, of the success of its political model. This school will be the precursor of the great imperial art of Augustus, in whose mandate Rome became the most influential city of the Empire and also the new center of Hellenistic culture, as Pergamon and Alexandria had been before, attracting a large number of Greek artists and craftsmen. In the Augustan era Rome contributed to the continuity and renewal of a tradition that had already enjoyed centuries of prestige, and which had dictated the character of all the art of the area. In this new stage, Greek aesthetics and technique will be applied to the themes of this new Rome. After the idealization of the Augustan era, the realism of the Flavian era and the subsequent baroque style of the second and third centuries, Roman sculpture, marked by the presence of Christianity, tended to dehumanize, to become more ideal and symbolic. The concern for realism was lost, and there was a tendency towards a schematization that sought to capture the ideal, the soul or the divinity, and not the human aspect of the figures. The carving, in correspondence with this new aesthetic, acquires a great hardness, and the figures acquire a noble hieratism.

Estim. 2 800 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 8 - Epikisis. Magna Grecia, Gnathia, 4th century BC. Ceramics. Provenance: private collection J. S. Barcelona, Spain, focused on the study and collecting of Greek ceramics. Intact. Excellent luster of the firing in the black color. Measurements: 17 cm (height). Epikisis of Magna Grecia made in ceramic and decorated with geometric and vegetal motifs in white, red and yellow on dark background. The epiquisis was a closed container, for oil, ointments or other liquids, also used to pour the wine and to transfer a liquid from a big vessel to another vessel. Different sources speak of bronze epiquisis and others used to pour oil into lamps, but it will be Varron who provides the most explicit references: he indicates that this typology replaced the Roman guttus with the introduction of Greek fashions in Rome. It was possibly, therefore, the Greek equivalent of the Latin guttus. Gnathia wares are a type of pottery belonging to ancient Apulian painting of the 4th century B.C. They owe their name to the ancient city of Gnathia (now Egnazia) in eastern Apulia. There, the first examples of the style were discovered in the mid-19th century. Its production began in Apulia around 370/360 BC, paralleling the local version of the red-figure style that developed trends toward polychromy at that time. Gnathia vases are characterized by the application of different paints directly on the body of the vase. The subjects depicted include erotes, images of women's lives, theatrical scenes and Dionysian motifs. Painting was often limited to the upper half of the vase body, while the lower half often had only ornamental decoration. The most common forms were bells, pelicans, oinochoai and skyphos.

Estim. 2 200 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 11 - Ushebti. Ancient Egypt, Lower Epoch, 664-323 BC. Fayenza. Provenance: private collection in Paris. Acquired on the art market in the 1980s. In good state of preservation. Measurements: 12 cm (height); 14.5 cm (height with stand). The ushebtis, Egyptian term that means "those that answer", are small statuettes that, in the Ancient Egypt, were deposited in the tombs as part of the funerary trousseau of the deceased, and whose function was to substitute him in the works that he had to carry out in the Beyond. The ushabties placed in the trousseau were 365 figurines, one for each day of the year. In addition, 36 foremen could be added, who commanded each of the crews composed of 10 workers. Most were made of ceramic, wood or stone, although in the richest tombs they could be found carved in lapis lazuli. The oldest preserved examples come from the Middle Empire, although we already find references to them in texts from the end of the Ancient Empire. The ushebtis are, after the sacred scarabs, the most numerous and possibly the most characteristic pieces of Egyptian art that have survived to the present day. Throughout time they always maintained the same function in the religious field but, while during the Middle Empire they were conceived as the representation of their owner before Osiris in the work of tillage in the kingdom of the shadows, replicas therefore of the deceased, from the New Empire they came to be seen as servants or slaves of the latter, being made in large quantities. The faience is a ceramic material of vitreous finish widely used in ancient Egypt for the production of small statues, amulets, etc. because its chromatic range could imitate more expensive stones such as lapis lazuli.

Estim. 1 400 - 1 500 EUR

Lot 12 - Ushebti; Egypt, Lower Egypt, 664-332. Green faience. It presents stable cracks in the frontal cartouche. Measurements: 12 x 3 x 1,5 cm. The ushebtis, Egyptian term that means "those who answer", are small statuettes that, in Ancient Egypt, were deposited in the tombs as part of the funerary trousseau of the deceased, and whose function was to replace him in the work to be done in the Hereafter. The ushabties placed in the trousseau were 365 figurines, one for each day of the year. In addition, 36 foremen could be added, who commanded each of the crews composed of 10 workers. Most were made of ceramic, wood or stone, although in the richest tombs they could be found carved in lapis lazuli. The oldest preserved examples come from the Middle Empire, although we already find references to them in texts from the end of the Ancient Empire. The ushebtis are, after the sacred scarabs, the most numerous and possibly the most characteristic pieces of Egyptian art that have survived to the present day. Throughout time they always maintained the same function in the religious field but, while during the Middle Empire they were conceived as the representation of their owner before Osiris in the work of tillage in the kingdom of the shadows, replicas therefore of the deceased, from the New Empire they came to be seen as servants or slaves of the latter, being made in large quantities. The faience is a ceramic material of vitreous finish widely used in ancient Egypt for the production of small statues, amulets, etc. because its chromatic range could imitate more expensive stones such as lapis lazuli. It has stable cracks in the front cartridge.

Estim. 1 500 - 1 600 EUR

Lot 17 - Standard; Luristan, 900-600 BC. Bronze. Measurements: 34 x 8,5 x 2 cm. Cast bronze standard from the Luristan culture. It consists of a narrower shaft, decorated with smooth and striated moldings located in the lower area. In the upper part we see two figures on the sides with a feline aspect facing each other, in an aggressive attitude, in a composition that is both synthetic and symbolic but loaded with expressiveness, precisely due to the capture of this unresolved tension. Finally, the piece ends with two ibex also facing each other. The Luristan culture developed between the eleventh and eighth centuries BC, when it was eliminated by the conflicts in the area during that century. It was a nomadic people from southern Russia, settled in the Iranian mesta and composed of different independent groups without national identity, but with common cultural characteristics. They developed a rich metal culture, working mainly in bronze. With it they made all kinds of functional pieces, as well as votive offerings and objects of personal adornment. Theirs was a figurative art, although cryptic and deeply symbolic, which sought expressiveness over naturalism. In the Luristan pieces, a marked axis of symmetry is always apparent, as can be seen in this short sword, practically devoid of ornamentation, but nevertheless endowed with fluid forms reminiscent of the blade of a large plant. This simple design suggests the organic, giving the piece the appearance of a vegetable leaf without actually making it concrete, playing with suggestion and formal evocation. In fact, the ambiguity of forms and motifs was a constant in the pieces of this culture, mainly in the figures of divinities, although it was a concept that was totally assimilated and extended to the entire production.

Estim. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 22 - Male head. Late Roman Empire, 2nd-3rd century AD. Marble stone. Measurements: 36 x 19 x 20 cm. The protagonist of this sculpture, a middle-aged man, looks at the viewer in a calm attitude. His eyes completely open, expectant and directed to a concrete point, reveal the restlessness of the character and stand out for their naturalistic character. The detail in its execution, especially reflected in the individualized hair and the expressive firmness of his face, demonstrate the skillful ability of an artist fully trained in sculptural instruction. The Lower Roman Empire or Late Roman Empire is the historical period extending from the rise of Diocletian to power in 284 to the end of the Western Roman Empire in 476. It succeeds the High Roman Empire begun by Caesar Augustus in 27 BC. The Romans brought two important innovations to the world of sculpture: portraiture and historical relief, neither of which existed in the Greek world. However, they followed the Greek models for much of their sculptural production, a base that in Rome would be combined with the Etruscan tradition. After the first contacts with the Greece of classicism through the colonies of Magna Graecia, the Romans conquered Syracuse in 212 BC, a rich and important Greek colony located in Sicily, adorned with a large number of Hellenistic works. The city was sacked and its artistic treasures taken to Rome, where the new style of these works soon replaced the Etruscan-Roman tradition that had prevailed until then. Cato himself denounced the sacking and decoration of Rome with Hellenistic works, which he considered a dangerous influence on native culture, and deplored the Romans' applauding of statues from Corinth and Athens, while ridiculing the decorative terracotta tradition of ancient Roman temples. However, these oppositional reactions were in vain; Greek art had subdued Etruscan-Roman art in general, to the point that Greek statues were among the most coveted prizes of war, being displayed during the triumphal procession of the conquering generals.

Estim. 3 500 - 4 000 EUR

Lot 25 - Fragment of Greek stele, 4th century BC. Hardened limestone. Measurements: 31 x 34 cm. Fragment of a Greek funerary stele, dated to the 4th century BC and carved in limestone, representing two seated figures, a man and a woman. It is probably a representation of the deceased couple, although we can notice the presence of a third figure, who rests his arm on the shoulders of the male character. Both figures are dressed in tunics, the woman with a veil over her head and the man with a cloak. They are represented in serene and balanced but naturalistic attitudes, showing the progress towards realism and expressiveness of Greek sculpture of the Hellenistic period. Hellenistic sculpture represents the final period of the evolution of Greek sculpture, and developed in the period between the death of Alexander the Great, in 323 B.C., and the conquest of Egypt by the Romans, between 30 and 31 B.C. It is an eclectic, secular and historicist language, which takes as its starting point the heritage of classical sculpture of the previous period, to which new oriental influences are added. It also meant the improvement of the representation of the anatomy and human emotional expressiveness, as well as a fundamental change in aesthetics, which leaves aside the ideal to represent the individual, moving from the generic to the specific. Thus, the previous ethical and pedagogical ideal is abandoned in favor of a new emphasis on everyday human aspects, in an art that will have the aesthetic as its main purpose, although occasionally it will also be propagandistic. This new interest in man and his inner life, his emotions, problems and longings, will result in a realistic style that has to emphasize the dramatic, the prosaic and movement. In addition, Hellenism brought the first individualized and plausible portraits of Western art. The subject matter will also be expanded to include depictions of old age and childhood, minor non-Olympian deities and secondary characters from mythology, as well as popular figures in their daily work.

Estim. 3 200 - 3 500 EUR

Lot 30 - Ushebti; Egypt, New Kingdom, Dynasty of Ramses II ca. 1250-1230 BC. White faience. It presents earthy adhesions on the surface. Measurements: 15 x 5 x 2,5 cm. Figure of ushebti made in white faience, represented holding two hoes to cultivate the fields of Osiris. cultivate the fields of Osiris in the afterlife. She wears wig and only his hands, crossed on the chest, protrude from his mummy form, as the shroud covering the whole body. The body is inscribed with a vertical column of hieroglyphs, the translation reads: "Son of the King (Prince), Shem Priest of Ptah, Khaemwaset". Khaemuast was the son of Ramses II, an important Ramesesid prince who was revered in his time as a magician. as a magician. He has been referred to as the first Egyptologist because of his documented interest in the monuments of Egypt's Old Kingdom. The ushebtis, Egyptian term meaning "those who respond", are small statuettes that, in Ancient Egypt, were deposited in the tombs as part of the grave goods of the deceased, and whose function was to replace him in the work to be done in the Hereafter. The ushabties placed in the trousseau were 365 figurines, one for each day of the year. In addition, 36 foremen could be added, who commanded each of the crews composed of 10 workers. Most were made of ceramic, wood or stone, although in the richest tombs they could be found carved in lapis lazuli. The oldest preserved examples come from the Middle Empire, although we already find references to them in texts from the end of the Ancient Empire. The ushebtis are, after the sacred scarabs, the most numerous and possibly the most characteristic pieces of Egyptian art that have survived to the present day. Throughout time they always maintained the same function in the religious field but, while during the Middle Empire they were conceived as the representation of their owner before Osiris in the work of tillage in the kingdom of the shadows, replicas therefore of the deceased, from the New Empire they came to be seen as servants or slaves of the latter, being made in large quantities. The faience is a ceramic material of vitreous finish widely used in ancient Egypt for the production of small statues, amulets, etc. because its chromatic range could imitate more expensive stones such as lapis lazuli. It presents earthy adhesions on the surface.

Estim. 3 000 - 3 500 EUR

Lot 33 - Amulet of Patechus; Egypt, Lower Egypt 664-332 B.C. Green faience. Measurements: 6 x 2 cm. Rare amulet made of faience, a ceramic material with a vitreous exterior finish that was widely used in Ancient Egypt, mainly for the elaboration of small statues, amulets, beads, etc. It used to be colored in light blue, ocher or greenish blue, applying copper, iron, cobalt or manganese pigments. In this case the statuette of round bulk, represents the god Ptah-Patechus, The figure is depicted naked with bald head and disproportionate to his body, with his hands on his protruding head. his hands on his protruding belly. In this amulet, the dwarf god Patecus strangles snakes. A black scarab, associated with the sun god, rests on his head and a falcon on each shoulder. Flanked by a small standing figure of Isis on his right, and Nephthys on his left, a figure of Nefertum engraved on the back which is pierced behind his head. Patechus, is the divinity of childhood, protector of the newborn and the child. He is represented as a dwarf, often with two snakes imprisoned in his hands. The Pathecine dwarves were in charge of the metallurgical works in Memphis, and in the Egyptian myth they assisted the god Ptah in the work of the forge. The iconographic adoption of these divinities takes place in the form of human embryos, with naked body, prominent belly and disproportionate bald head. These demigods achieved great popularity in Egypt and the central Mediterranean.

Estim. 5 000 - 5 500 EUR

Lot 36 - Goddess Skehmet. Ancient Egypt, Lower Epoch, 664-323 BC. Bronze. Provenance: private collection in Paris. Acquired on the art market in 1980. In good state of preservation. Measurements: 13 cm (height); 14,8 cm (height with stand). Statuette in bronze, of round bulk, representing the goddess Sekhmet standing, with her hands on her hips, lioness head and crown with the solar disk and the uraeus or protective snake. Egyptian goddess of war and revenge, Skehmet was the daughter of Ra and, together with her husband Ptah and her son Nefertum, formed the triad of Memphis. She is often identified with Hathor and is also related to Bastet, which would be its peaceful aspect. She is represented as we see here, with the body of a woman and the head of a lioness, although with mane, generally crowned with the solar disk and the uraeus, generally also carrying the Ankh and a papyrus or lotus flower, as well as several arrows. She was also depicted as a crocodile-headed woman or as the eye Udyat. Although she was a goddess feared for her anger, if she could be appeased, she granted the vigor and energy to overcome weakness and disease. She was also considered an ally and protector of her father Ra, since she killed those who dared to confront or attack the monarchy, both divine and earthly. In her funerary aspect she was known as "the one who restrains darkness", and was also called "expert in magic" as a healer, and "goddess of love" for provoking passions.

Estim. 7 000 - 7 500 EUR

Lot 42 - Hades. Roman Culture. II - III Century A.D. Marble. Provenance: private collection D. A., Belgium. Formerly in a Spanish collection, acquired in the 1980s. Conservation: Good state of conservation, missing the left arm and the part of the crown. Broken and recomposed at the waist. Measurements: 30 cm high. Sculptural set of two figures, one lost, only the feet are preserved, in round bulk. The sculpture is formed by the image of Hades, located to the left, and the one that probably was Persephone, to the right. Between them, and as a support for both figures, an architectural element with a geometric shape that could remind us of a funerary stele typical of Roman art. Although it could also be a tomb, a more than characteristic element that may refer to both protagonists, the god of the underworld and his consort. Hades is represented as a middle-aged individual, bearded and with abundant hair above his shoulders. He is dressed in a tunic. He appears in the sculptural set erect with the right foot slightly more advanced than the left, the face looks to the right. He has his arms separated from the body with the left one wrapping and holding his scepter or cane finished in two points, which originally would have reached his feet, today only the upper part is preserved. At his side two fragments of two feet that surely belonged to Persephone. Hades for the Greeks, and Pluto for the Romans. He is the son of Cronus and Hera, brother of Zeus, Poseidon, Hera and Demeter. With Zeus and Poseidon, he is one of the three rulers who divided the empire of the Universe after their victory against the Titans: Hades was attributed the underworld, the Hells, or Tartarus. According to legend, Hades, in love with the young Persephone, abducted her while she was picking flowers with some nymphs on the plain of Enna, in Sicily. The abduction was carried out in complicity with Zeus and in the absence of Demeter. Finally, Zeus ordered Hades to restore Persephone to her mother, but by inadvertence or perhaps tempted by Hades, the young woman had eaten a pomegranate seed, since she could not take any food in the underworld, this was enough to chain her forever to Hell. However, to mitigate her sorrow, Zeus arranged for her to distribute her time between the underworld and the terrestrial world. The Romans brought two important innovations to the world of sculpture: portraiture and historical relief, neither of which existed in the Greek world. However, they followed Greek models for a large part of their sculptural production, a base that in Rome would be combined with the Etruscan tradition. After the first contacts with the Greece of classicism through the colonies of Magna Graecia, the Romans conquered Syracuse in 212 BC, a rich and important Greek colony located in Sicily, adorned with a large number of Hellenistic works. The city was sacked and its artistic treasures taken to Rome, where the new style of these works soon replaced the Etruscan-Roman tradition that had prevailed until then. Cato himself denounced the sacking and decoration of Rome with Hellenistic works, which he considered a dangerous influence on native culture, and deplored the Romans' applauding of statues from Corinth and Athens, while ridiculing the decorative terracotta tradition of ancient Roman temples. However, these oppositional reactions were in vain; Greek art had subdued Etruscan-Roman art in general, to the point that Greek statues were among the most coveted prizes of war, being displayed during the triumphal procession of the conquering generals. Shortly thereafter, in 133 BC, the Empire Good state of preservation, missing the left arm and part of the crown. Broken at the waist but recomposed. recomposed

Estim. 8 000 - 9 000 EUR

Lot 44 - Female bust; Rome, 2nd century A.D. Marble. It shows superficial wear, erosion and material losses. Measurements: 22 x 15 x 13 cm. Roman white marble bust of a young woman. The piece has a serene face with almond-shaped eyes with an expressive look and slightly pursed lips, as well as a high hairstyle with wavy hair, with a cape or scarf on the head. It should be noted that the sculpture would probably have been polychrome, as was usual in many works of the Roman Empire.The Romans brought two important innovations to the world of sculpture: the portrait and the historical relief, neither of which existed in the Greek world. However, they followed the Greek models for much of their sculptural production, a base that in Rome would be combined with the Etruscan tradition. After the first contacts with the Greece of classicism through the colonies of Magna Graecia, the Romans conquered Syracuse in 212 BC, a rich and important Greek colony located in Sicily, adorned with a large number of Hellenistic works. The city was sacked and its artistic treasures taken to Rome, where the new style of these works soon replaced the Etruscan-Roman tradition that had prevailed until then. Shortly afterwards, in 133 B.C., the Empire inherited the kingdom of Pergamon, where there was an original and thriving school of Hellenistic sculpture. The huge Pergamon Altar, the "Gallus committing suicide" or the dramatic group "Laocoön and his sons" were three of the key creations of this Hellenistic school. On the other hand, after Greece was conquered in 146 B.C. most Greek artists settled in Rome, and many of them devoted themselves to making copies of Greek sculptures, very fashionable at that time in the capital of the Empire. It shows surface wear, erosion and material losses.

Estim. 9 000 - 10 000 EUR

Lot 45 - Bust of a young woman. Roman culture. 2nd-4th Century A.D. Bronze and silver. Provenance: Private collection, Mr. S. D., France, acquired in the decade from 1980 to 1990.- Galerie Ghezelbash, Paris. Conservation: Good condition; presents an excellent surface of the bronze. No restorations. Measurements: 6.6 cm high + 6.7 x 6 x 6 cm. Head of a woman in bronze, with silver details. In the features it is appreciated the will to capture with fidelity the physique of the model. The kinky hair is gathered in a bun and decorated with a diadem. It could be a votive piece. The careful observation of the human anatomy and features was frequent in private commissions, leaving the idealization for the representation of gods, heroes and, sometimes, emperors. The realism imprinted on Roman portraits reflected the fashions and canons of beauty of women in Roman society. The Romans brought two important innovations to the world of sculpture: portraiture and historical relief, neither of which existed in the Greek world. However, they followed Greek models for much of their sculptural production, a base that in Rome would be combined with the Etruscan tradition. After the first contacts with the Greece of classicism through the colonies of Magna Graecia, the Romans conquered Syracuse in 212 BC, a rich and important Greek colony located in Sicily, adorned with a large number of Hellenistic works. The city was sacked and its artistic treasures taken to Rome, where the new style of these works soon replaced the Etruscan-Roman tradition that had prevailed until then. Cato himself denounced the sacking and decoration of Rome with Hellenistic works, which he considered a dangerous influence on native culture, and deplored the Romans' applauding of statues from Corinth and Athens, while ridiculing the decorative terracotta tradition of ancient Roman temples. However, these oppositional reactions were in vain; Greek art had subdued Etruscan-Roman art in general, to the point that Greek statues were among the most coveted prizes of war, being displayed during the triumphal procession of the conquering generals.

Estim. 12 000 - 14 000 EUR

Lot 48 - God Attis. Rome, 2nd century A.D. Marble. Measurements: 52 x 16 x 14 cm. Round sculpture representing the torso of Attis, Greek god adopted from the Phrygians and who was also venerated by the Romans. God of the lost and rediscovered vegetation, he personifies the ephemeral and revived spring. Attis represents the nature that dies in autumn and that rises again in spring. This oriental divinity has its origins in Phrygia and several versions of the mythological legend are known, always highlighting his death due to self-castration and his subsequent resurrection. He was considered the lover of the goddess Cybele. In the Roman world we find representations of Attis in all kinds of artistic manifestations, among which we want to highlight the sculpture. Its iconography is very varied, since this divinity is presented in different attitudes, sometimes alone and sometimes in the company of Cybele. This diversity is due to the desire to show the god in the most relevant moments of his myth or to express through his image ideologies of symbolic-religious content. We must highlight those figures that represent him as the protector deity of the dead and their resurrection, in this case without any relation to Cybele, since he had also known suffering and death and had overcome them. Precisely, Roman sculpture stood out from Greek sculpture in the creation of the sculpture-portrait. The Roman portrait has its roots in Etruscan art, but also in the Hellenistic Greek world and in the "masks mayorum", that is, wax masks that were applied to the faces of the deceased for their memory and later worship. The materials most commonly used in Roman portraiture were bronze and marble. At the beginning, Roman portrait sculpture only represented the head and part of the neck. Later, progress was made in the representation of the entire bust, including shoulders and chest. However, full body sculptures were also sculpted, as in the one presented here.

Estim. 12 000 - 13 000 EUR

Lot 50 - Priapus. Hellenism, Greece, 2nd - 1st century BC. Marble. Provenance: Private collection, London, acquired between the 1960s and 1980s. Good state of preservation, no restorations. It has lost the left forearm and the lower part of the legs. Measurements: 24 cm high. This sculpture entirely made of marble represents Priapus, carved in round bulk. He was a minor god, a rustic divinity of fertility. His main attribute is a large erect phallus, symbol of the fertilizing force of nature. Here he is shown smiling and wrapped in an open tunic that slides down his shoulders and exposes his genitals. During the Hellenistic period, Greek sculpture underwent a major transformation, and this was particularly noticeable in the capture of emotions. This is magnificently expressed in the laughing countenance of our Priapus. Hellenistic sculpture represents the final period of the evolution of Greek sculpture, and developed in the period between the death of Alexander the Great, in 323 B.C., and the conquest of Egypt by the Romans, between 30 and 31 B.C. It is an eclectic, secular and historicist language, which takes as its starting point the heritage of classical sculpture of the previous period, to which new oriental influences are added. It also meant the improvement of the representation of the anatomy and human emotional expressiveness, as well as a fundamental change in aesthetics, which leaves aside the ideal to represent the individual, moving from the generic to the specific. Thus, the previous ethical and pedagogical ideal is abandoned in favor of a new emphasis on everyday human aspects, in an art that will have the aesthetic as its main purpose, although occasionally it will also be propagandistic. This new interest in man and his inner life, his emotions, problems and longings, will result in a realistic style that has to emphasize the dramatic, the prosaic and movement. In addition, Hellenism brought the first individualized and plausible portraits of Western art. The subject matter will also be expanded to include depictions of old age and childhood, minor non-Olympian deities and secondary characters from mythology, as well as popular figures in their daily work. Good state of preservation, without restorations. It has lost the left forearm and the lower part of the legs.

Estim. 14 000 - 18 000 EUR

Lot 52 - Visigothic or Merovingian capital, 6th - 7th century A.D. Marble. Provenance: - Private collection, Georges C. S. (1833 - 1909), Château de B., France. - Private collection, by the new owners of the castle since 1938, who had acquired it with all its contents. - Formerly in the private French collection of Gustave Clément-Simon (1833-1909), at the Château de Bach, Naves, Corrèze. - It passed to Georges Couture with the sale of the castle and his entire collection in 1938. - Since then, it has passed into the hands of the same family. Measurements: 30 cm high and 30 cm long. The creation of the Corinthian order is attributed to the Greek sculptor Callimachus, in the 4th century B.C. It is basically the same as the Ionic order, differing from it in the shape and size of the capital. It is the most ornate of the three main classical orders, and although it is of Greek origin it was mainly used in Roman architecture. When the Visigoths left Italy with Ataulfus, they went towards the center and south of Gaul, passing from there to the Iberian Peninsula. Then, the Visigothic Kingdom of Toulouse (Toulouse, France), managed to conquer more territory in the peninsula, until Alaric II was defeated by the Franks, losing the French possessions and giving way to the so-called Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo, a period of great importance in the arts (characterized by a clear maintenance of Roman models along with Byzantine influences) and culture in general, which ended with the entry of the Muslims in the early seventh century.

Estim. 15 000 - 16 000 EUR

Lot 54 - Figure of Silvanus; Roman Empire, 2nd century AD. Marble. Provenance: private collection, Los Angeles, USA, mid-1990s at Quatrain Inc; private collection, London, acquired in New York, 2015; private collection, Madrid. In good state of preservation. It has lost half of its head, the lower part of its legs and the cypress trunk that it held in its right hand. Measurements: 46 cm. Roman sculpture in marble representing Silvanus, a tutelary spirit of the fields and forests. In relation to the forests, he presided especially over the plantations and enjoyed the trees that grew wild, which is why he is represented (as on this occasion) carrying the trunk of a cypress tree. Regarding this tree, however, the following story is told: Silvanus was in love with the young Cipariso. Fortunately, he once accidentally killed a doe that belonged to him. Cipariso died of grief and was transformed into a cypress tree. The Romans brought two important innovations to the world of sculpture: portraiture and historical relief, neither of which existed in the Greek world. However, they followed Greek models for much of their sculptural production, a base which in Rome was combined with the Etruscan tradition. After the first contacts with Classical Greece through the Magna Graecia colonies, the Romans conquered Syracuse in 212 BC, a rich and important Greek colony in Sicily, which was adorned with a large number of Hellenistic works. The city was sacked and its artistic treasures taken to Rome, where the new style of these works soon replaced the Etruscan-Roman tradition that had prevailed until then. Shortly afterwards, in 133 BC, the Empire inherited the kingdom of Pergamon, where there was an original and thriving school of Hellenistic sculpture. The huge Pergamon Altar, the "Gallus committing suicide" or the dramatic group "Laocoön and his sons" were three of the key creations of this Hellenistic school. On the other hand, after Greece was conquered in 146 BC, most Greek artists settled in Rome, and many of them devoted themselves to making copies of Greek sculptures, which were very fashionable at the time in the capital of the Empire. Thus, numerous copies of Praxiteles, Lysippus and classical works of the 5th century BC were produced, giving rise to the Neo-Attic school of Rome, the first neoclassical movement in the history of art. However, between the end of the 2nd century BC and the beginning of the 1st century BC there was a change in this purist Greek trend, which culminated in the creation of a national school of sculpture in Rome, which produced works such as the Altar of Aenobarbus, which introduced a typically Roman narrative concept that became a chronicle of everyday life and, at the same time, of the success of its political model. This school would be the forerunner of the great imperial art of Augustus, during whose reign Rome became the most influential city in the Empire and also the new centre of Hellenistic culture, as Pergamon and Alexandria had been before it, attracting a large number of Greek artists and craftsmen. In the Augustan era Rome contributed to the continuity and renewal of a tradition which had already enjoyed centuries of prestige and which had dictated the character of all art in the area. In this new phase, Greek aesthetics and technique were applied to the themes of this new Rome. After the idealisation of the Augustan period, the realism of the Flavian era and the subsequent Baroque style of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Roman sculpture, marked by the presence of Christianity, tended to dehumanise, becoming more ideal and symbolic. The concern for realism was lost, and there was a tendency towards a schematisation that sought to capture the ideal, the soul or the divinity, rather than the human aspect of the figures. The carving, in keeping with this new aesthetic, acquired a great hardness, and the figures acquired a more realistic and symbolic quality.

Estim. 28 000 - 30 000 EUR

Lot 55 - Upper part of a concubine. Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, reign of Amenhotep III, 1390/1 to 1353/2 BC. Hardened limestone. Provenance: Private collection, James Gordon Hanes Jr., North Carolina (USA), acquired from Mathias Komor Gallery, New York, late 1950s-early 1960s. With Komor gallery label, n. 943. Private collection Eldridge C. Hanes, North Carolina (USA), acquired by inheritance from his father James G. Hanes Jr. Hanes Jr. in 1995. An old photo is preserved in the Getty archive. In good condition, with no restorations. There are dents on the back right side and a groove on the lower left side, caused by erosion in contact with the desert sand. The limestone has a solid shiny surface, which has hardened over time, becoming compacted. Attached is a letter of provenance signed by Mr. Eldridge C. Hanes. Parallels: -Pierre Bergé & Associés. Archéologie. Paris. 15 December 2009. Lot 155. -Pierre Bergé & Associés. Archéologie. Paris. 17 June 2010. Lot 147. -Petrie Museum. University College London. London. N. UC28687. Measurements: 22 x 18 x 13 cm. Upper part of an Egyptian sculpture representing a woman with a back plate, carved in a rectangular shape. The woman has both palms of her hands outstretched, holding her wig on both sides. This accessory is of a very specific type, a wide and thick tripartite wig, with a lot of volume, somewhat short, typical of the productions of the New Empire. The shape of the eye sockets so perfectly slit, together with the headdress, fits in with the marked style of female representation during the reign of the pharaoh Amenhotep III, taking as a model the sculptures of Queen Tiy. In addition, the face, although spherical, is accentuated by the pronounced chin, another distinctive element of the statuary of this period. In ancient Egypt, from the time of the pyramids, burials were richly adorned with grave goods. Among the multitude of elements, obviously all with a symbolism that was by no means casual, there were some fine sculptures, not always represented, of nude female silhouettes, carved in wood, later in the Middle Empire modelled in faience and in the New Empire in stone, with a marked physical attractiveness, with a halo of sensuality. Above all, this comes from their sparse decoration, nude with dots drawn on the body in the form of chokers and translucent dresses. This marked sexual character, so rarely seen in the Egyptian artistic imagination, soon attracted the attention of scholars and collectors. They are concubines or concubines of the dead. Their role is not very well defined: are they intended to ensure the sexual activity of the deceased in the Afterlife and the resulting procreation. The sculpture present here, in terms of its physiognomic style as described above and its stone carving, dates to the New Kingdom. The clearest examples, although not common, as they are pieces that are not frequently seen, especially in terms of quality and considerable dimensions such as this one, although there are numerous examples in terracotta or faience of small dimensions, are the ones in which the beautiful lady is lying on a bed. The later support is possibly the representation of a bed, as can be seen in the best complete example on the market at Pierre Bergé & Associés, in the Archéologie catalogue of 15 December 2009, lot 155. Some other limestone monuments with only the reclining woman are preserved in Brussels (E. 2591), Florence (2142) or Dublin (E. 72:77).

Estim. 32 000 - 35 000 EUR

Lot 57 - Parietal relief of a mastaba with a nilotic scene. Ancient Egypt - Ancient Empire, Dynasty VI, 2325 - 2155 BC. Limestone and pigments. Published: - LIGABUE, G. OSMIDA, G. R. (ed.). Animale e Mito nel Vicino Oriente Antico. Il Punto Edizioni. Pauda. 2008. p. 230. - Apollo Mgazine.C220-4-22 Narrating the past, collecting for the fuiture. 15 August 2017. Provenance: - Private collection, Brussels, received by inheritance. - Harmakhis Gallery, Brussels, acquired from heirs. - Private collection, Dr Giancarlo Ligabue (1931 - 2015), acquired from the previous owner, with a certificate of authenticity dated 11 November 1994. Dr Giancarlo Ligabue (1931-2015) was born in Venice. An accomplished academic with multifaceted interests, he studied at the universities of Cà Foscari (Venice) and Boston, and obtained a PhD in Palaeontology at the Sorbonne University in Paris, followed by four other honorary degrees. At the age of 28 he started working for Ligabue S.p.A. - today a world leader in the ship restoration and supply sector - expanding the business started by his father Anacleto in 1919 all over the world. He cultivated strong passions for archaeology, palaeontology and anthropology, building up a vast and varied collection and founding in 1973 the Ligabue Study and Research Centre, which promoted and organised 130 expeditions to all continents with the collaboration of scientists from the world's leading universities and research centres. The discoveries made in forty years of activity are now part of the history of palaeontology, archaeology and ethnology. - Inherited from the previous owner in 2015. Accompanied by a cultural export permit from Italy. - Private collection, Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, inventory number BELC932, acquired from the previous owner on 14 September 2017. - Art market, London, 2022. In a good state of conservation, it retains its original polychromy. It presents two restoration lines in the upper corners, professionally covered, without affecting the relief. Measurements: 27 x 32 cm. Fragment of bas-relief, carved in limestone and polychrome, from a parietal scene in a mastaba, representing various species of fish native to the Nile. It would have been part of a much larger scene carved into the walls of a mastaba depicting Egyptian inhabitants engaged in fishing. The realism of the scene makes it possible to identify with certainty the species of the six fish depicted, which are: Clarias lazera, with its characteristic whiskers, Synodontis batensoda, Mugil, Mormylus niloticus, Malapterurus electricus and Tilapia. The latter, together with Mormylus niloticus, or oxyrhynchus, are the best known. The Old Kingdom, from when this relief dates, was an incredibly dynamic period of Egyptian history. Although the origins of many concepts, practices and monuments can be traced back to earlier periods, it was during the Old Kingdom that they developed into the forms that would characterise and influence the rest of Pharaonic history. It is made from a block of very fine-grained limestone, undoubtedly from the quarry at Tura or its neighbour Massara. The quarries are located 20 km south of Cairo on the right (east) bank of the Nile. From the earliest periods of the Old Kingdom until the end of the Pharaonic period, these quarries were considered to be the finest limestone quarries. Both the finest limestone statues and the facing blocks for the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari were made of stone from these quarries. The technique used is that of incised high relief, and its finish is painted with a palette of pigments diluted in water and a small proportion of gum arabic (resin from the acacia nilotica).

Estim. 120 000 - 130 000 EUR

Lot 60 - Horse with rider. China, Tang Dynasty, 619-906 AD. Polychrome terracotta. Measurements: 32 cm (height) x 29 cm (length). Certificate from the Po Yuen Tong Gallery in Honk Kong. Figure of a horse with rider made in polychrome terracotta, probably with the usual engobes of the time (applied cold), which, possibly, has been part of a grave goods of a prominent member of the Tang Dynasty period. It stands out for the naturalism that the artist has portrayed. The Tang Dynasty is considered by historians as a time of splendor of Chinese civilization, equal or even superior to the Han period. Emerging after a period of despotism under the reign of the cruel Yang Di, it was established by Li Shimin who, moved by filial piety, put his father on the throne before assuming the role of emperor himself and founding the Tang dynasty. Stimulated by contact with India and the Middle East via the Silk Road, the Tang empire experienced a creative boom in numerous fields. Buddhism, which had emerged in India at the time of Confucius, continued to flourish during this period and was adopted by the imperial family, becoming an essential part of traditional Chinese culture. Likewise, the development of the printing press extended the dissemination of written works, giving rise to the golden age of Chinese art and literature. The great cultural opening will result in a fundamentally colorful, expressive and very eclectic art, although it continues to be mainly for funerary use, where the artist remains an anonymous craftsman. However, from this moment on, high-fired ceramics, decorated with enamels, will be used as a status symbol, with typologies such as vessels for the table of the litterateur and all kinds of crockery. Terracotta, on the other hand, is still used for grave goods, although stoneware will also be used from now on, especially for the tombs of nobles and scholars. In the funerary pieces, a group to which these bears belong, an important novelty is introduced: the tricolor lead glazes (sancai), although pieces decorated with engobes continue to be made. Within the grave goods there are six typological groups, each of them of great variety: tomb guardians, with warriors and protective beasts; ceremonial figures with their servants; animals of all kinds, such as oxen, camels or horses; musicians and court ladies; utensils and vessels; and finally architectural models. Likewise, three periods can be distinguished. In the first of these, between 681 and 683, figures decorated with engobes predominate, even without glazes, so the pieces presented here could be dated between these years. The second period is between 683 and 779, and is the great period of the sancai, with a predominance of enamels. Finally, until the beginning of the 10th century, pieces with sancai enamels continued to be made, although of lower quality than those of the previous period.

Estim. 1 400 - 1 800 EUR

Lot 61 - Horse with rider. China, Tang Dynasty, 619-906 AD. Polychrome terracotta. Measurements: 33 cm (height) x 31 cm (length). Certificate from the Po Yuen Tong Gallery in Honk Kong. Figure of a horse with rider made in polychrome terracotta, probably with the usual engobes of the time (cold applied), which, possibly, has been part of a grave goods of a prominent member of the Tang Dynasty. It stands out for the naturalism that the artist has portrayed. The Tang Dynasty is considered by historians as a time of splendor of Chinese civilization, equal or even superior to the Han period. Emerging after a period of despotism under the reign of the cruel Yang Di, it was established by Li Shimin who, moved by filial piety, put his father on the throne before assuming the role of emperor himself and founding the Tang dynasty. Stimulated by contact with India and the Middle East via the Silk Road, the Tang empire experienced a creative boom in numerous fields. Buddhism, which had emerged in India at the time of Confucius, continued to flourish during this period and was adopted by the imperial family, becoming an essential part of traditional Chinese culture. Likewise, the development of the printing press extended the dissemination of written works, giving rise to the golden age of Chinese art and literature. The great cultural opening will result in a fundamentally colorful, expressive and very eclectic art, although it continues to be mainly for funerary use, where the artist remains an anonymous craftsman. However, from this moment on, high-fired ceramics, decorated with enamels, will be used as a status symbol, with typologies such as vessels for the table of the litterateur and all kinds of crockery. Terracotta, on the other hand, is still used for grave goods, although stoneware will also be used from now on, especially for the tombs of nobles and scholars. In the funerary pieces, a group to which these bears belong, an important novelty is introduced: the tricolor lead glazes (sancai), although pieces decorated with engobes continue to be made. Within the grave goods there are six typological groups, each of them of great variety: tomb guardians, with warriors and protective beasts; ceremonial figures with their servants; animals of all kinds, such as oxen, camels or horses; musicians and court ladies; utensils and vessels; and finally architectural models. Likewise, three periods can be distinguished. In the first of these, between 681 and 683, figures decorated with engobes predominate, even without glazes, so the pieces presented here could be dated between these years. The second period is between 683 and 779, and is the great period of the sancai, with a predominance of enamels. Finally, until the beginning of the 10th century, pieces with sancai enamels continued to be made, although of lower quality than those of the previous period.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 63 - Horse with rider. China, Tang Dynasty, 619-906 AD. Polychrome terracotta. Measurements: 34 cm (height) x 27 cm (length). Certificate from the Po Yuen Tong Gallery in Honk Kong. Figure of a horse with rider made in polychrome terracotta, probably with the usual engobes of the time (cold applied), which, possibly, has been part of a grave goods of a prominent member of the Tang Dynasty. It stands out for the naturalism that the artist has portrayed. The Tang Dynasty is considered by historians as a time of splendor of Chinese civilization, equal or even superior to the Han period. Emerging after a period of despotism under the reign of the cruel Yang Di, it was established by Li Shimin who, moved by filial piety, put his father on the throne before assuming the role of emperor himself and founding the Tang dynasty. Stimulated by contact with India and the Middle East via the Silk Road, the Tang empire experienced a creative boom in numerous fields. Buddhism, which had emerged in India at the time of Confucius, continued to flourish during this period and was adopted by the imperial family, becoming an essential part of traditional Chinese culture. Likewise, the development of the printing press extended the dissemination of written works, giving rise to the golden age of Chinese art and literature. The great cultural opening will result in a fundamentally colorful, expressive and very eclectic art, although it continues to be mainly for funerary use, where the artist remains an anonymous craftsman. However, from this moment on, high-fired ceramics, decorated with enamels, will be used as a status symbol, with typologies such as vessels for the table of the litterateur and all kinds of crockery. Terracotta, on the other hand, is still used for grave goods, although stoneware will also be used from now on, especially for the tombs of nobles and scholars. In the funerary pieces, a group to which these bears belong, an important novelty is introduced: the tricolor lead glazes (sancai), although pieces decorated with engobes continue to be made. Within the grave goods there are six typological groups, each of them of great variety: tomb guardians, with warriors and protective beasts; ceremonial figures with their servants; animals of all kinds, such as oxen, camels or horses; musicians and court ladies; utensils and vessels; and finally architectural models. Likewise, three periods can be distinguished. In the first of these, between 681 and 683, figures decorated with engobes predominate, even without glazes, so the pieces presented here could be dated between these years. The second period is between 683 and 779, and is the great period of the sancai, with a predominance of enamels. Finally, until the beginning of the 10th century, pieces with sancai enamels continued to be made, although of lower quality than those of the previous period.

Estim. 800 - 1 000 EUR

Lot 64 - Ushebti; Egypt, New Kingdom, 1539-1077 B.C. Polychrome wood. Remains of polychrome. Presents faults and losses. Measurements: 20,5 x 4 x 3 cm. Ushebti moniform made of wood with tripartite crown and arms crossed on the chest. In spite of the passage of time the piece shows a good state of conservation, still maintaining remains of polychromy. The ushebtis, Egyptian term meaning "those who respond", are small statuettes that, in ancient Egypt, were deposited in the tombs as part of the grave goods of the deceased, and whose function was to replace him in the work to be done in the afterlife. Most of them were made of ceramic, wood or stone, although in the richest tombs they could be found carved in lapis lazuli. The oldest preserved examples come from the Middle Empire, although we already find references to them in texts from the end of the Ancient Empire. The ushebtis are, after the sacred scarabs, the most numerous and possibly the most characteristic pieces of Egyptian art that have survived to the present day. Throughout time they always maintained the same function in the religious sphere but, while during the Middle Empire they were conceived as the representation of their owner before Osiris in the tasks of tillage of the kingdom of the shadows, replicas therefore of the deceased, from the New Empire they came to be seen as servants or slaves of the latter, coming to be made in large quantities. Remains of polychrome. It presents faults and losses.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 300 EUR

Lot 72 - Ushebti. Ancient Egypt, Lower Epoch, 664-323 BC. Fayenza. Provenance: private collection in Paris. Acquired on the art market in the 1980s. In good state of preservation. Measurements: 7.5 cm (height); 9 cm (height with stand). The ushebtis, Egyptian term that means "those that answer", are small statuettes that, in the Ancient Egypt, were deposited in the tombs as part of the funerary trousseau of the deceased, and whose function was to substitute him in the works that he had to carry out in the Beyond. The ushabties placed in the trousseau were 365 figurines, one for each day of the year. In addition, 36 foremen could be added, who commanded each of the crews composed of 10 workers. Most were made of ceramic, wood or stone, although in the richest tombs they could be found carved in lapis lazuli. The oldest preserved examples come from the Middle Empire, although we already find references to them in texts from the end of the Ancient Empire. The ushebtis are, after the sacred scarabs, the most numerous and possibly the most characteristic pieces of Egyptian art that have survived to the present day. Throughout time they always maintained the same function in the religious field but, while during the Middle Empire they were conceived as the representation of their owner before Osiris in the work of tillage in the kingdom of the shadows, replicas therefore of the deceased, from the New Empire they came to be seen as servants or slaves of the latter, being made in large quantities. The faience is a ceramic material of vitreous finish widely used in ancient Egypt for the production of small statues, amulets, etc. because its chromatic range could imitate more expensive stones such as lapis lazuli.

Estim. 900 - 950 EUR

Lot 73 - Ushebti. Ancient Egypt, Lower Epoch, 664-323 BC. Fayenza. Provenance: private collection in Paris. Acquired on the art market in the 1980s. In good state of preservation. Measurements: 11.5 cm (height); 14 cm (height with stand). The ushebtis, Egyptian term that means "those that answer", are small statuettes that, in the Ancient Egypt, were deposited in the tombs as part of the funerary trousseau of the deceased, and whose function was to substitute him in the works that he had to carry out in the Beyond. The ushabties placed in the trousseau were 365 figurines, one for each day of the year. In addition, 36 foremen could be added, who commanded each of the crews composed of 10 workers. Most were made of ceramic, wood or stone, although in the richest tombs they could be found carved in lapis lazuli. The oldest preserved examples come from the Middle Empire, although we already find references to them in texts from the end of the Ancient Empire. The ushebtis are, after the sacred scarabs, the most numerous and possibly the most characteristic pieces of Egyptian art that have survived to the present day. Throughout time they always maintained the same function in the religious field but, while during the Middle Empire they were conceived as the representation of their owner before Osiris in the work of tillage in the kingdom of the shadows, replicas therefore of the deceased, from the New Empire they came to be seen as servants or slaves of the latter, being made in large quantities. The faience is a ceramic material of vitreous finish widely used in ancient Egypt for the production of small statues, amulets, etc. because its chromatic range could imitate more expensive stones such as lapis lazuli.

Estim. 800 - 850 EUR
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