Egyptian Alabaster Mummy Eye

A figurine in blue-green faience depicting a human female displaying traits of achondroplasia, with a disproportionate body, protruding abdomen, prominent buttocks, and shortened limbs; the large and exaggeratedly flattened head sports a distinctive hairstyle consisting of three ‘bunches’ on the front and three long braids at the back; the shaven top of the head is indicated by stippling; the figure wearing a long, single-strand shell necklace, armlets, and a girdle, all indicated in black pigment, as are the facial details, hair colour, pubic triangle, fingernails, and toenails. 50 grams, 66 mm high



Acquired from Dr Jan Beekmans, circa 1985. UK private collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11594-198343.

This figurine belongs to a rare sub-type in a category of anthropomorphic figures produced during the late 12th-13th Dynasty. The category comprises around 200 figurines which include truncated-leg females, ‘grotesque’ human forms, and those displaying more distinct traits of achondroplasia, such as can be observed in this figurine. Very few examples of this particular sub-type are known, of which only one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York provides a close parallel in terms of overall styling and form with this figurine. The purpose of this figurine is not fully understood, but other types of female representations in the large corpus of Middle Kingdom faience figurines are now considered to have embodied generative and regenerative power for their owners. This figurine shares the same distinctive three-braid hairstyle and the necklace, armlets, and girdle body adornments found on some. Body adornments of this kind also occur on wooden ‘paddle doll’ female figurines which are considered to have some connection with khener-dancers, who performed in royal, temple and funerary spheres. Since, in funeral contexts, ritual dances were often performed by dwarfs, a further connection can possibly be made between the role of khener-dancers and this figurine. The performance of such dancers in royal or funerary contexts was considered to bring the power of regeneration and potency to the recipient.

A restrung panel of small glazed composition beads in various colours representing a mummy face mask with false beard. 44 grams, 13 cm wide



Acquired 1990s. Ex Mariaud des Serres, Paris, France.

The practice of providing a bead mask as additional protection for the face of the mummy developed in the Late Period. The green beads used as the principal colour in the creation of the stylised face symbolise regeneration and re-birth. An example discovered at Esna in Upper Egypt and still attached to the face of a mummy is on display in the World Museum Liverpool (accession number 7.6.20.60).

An opaque black glass inlay in the form of the head of Anubis in jackal form; repaired. 19.2 grams, 58 mm high



French collection, 1960s-early 2000s. From an important Paris gallery, France.