Loading, please wait...
LOT 0027
Egyptian Alabaster Trussed Duck
OLD KINGDOM, 6TH DYNASTY, CIRCA 2345-2181 B.C.
4 in. (890 grams total, 10 cm wide including stand).
Carved in the round with the head and neck laid backwards along the spine; mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceAcquired before 1970.
Private French collection.
with Bonhams, New Bond Street, London, 29 April 2009, lot 58.
Ex Middle Eastern royal family, living in the UK, 2013-2017.
Accompanied by a copy of a French cultural passport no.099505.
Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S000149104.
Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Bonhams catalogue pages.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12942-245247.
Cf. S. D'Auria, et al, Mummies and Magic - The Funerary Arts of Ancient Egypt, Boston, 1988, p.38, fig 25, for examples of model offerings.
FootnotesIn ancient Egypt, the duck (actually the Egyptian goose) was considered a sacred and very popular animal, often depicted in art and associated with symbolic meanings. It was a common bird in the Nile Valley and considered a symbol of fertility, life, and family, which is why it frequently appeared in scenes of daily life and rituals, and in the artworks.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a 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: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0027
Egyptian Alabaster Trussed Duck
Estimate £7,000 - 9,000€8,120 - 10,440 (for guidance only)$9,450 - 12,150 (for guidance only)
-
Egyptian Limestone Offering Table for Iny
Late Old Kingdom-First Intermediate Period, circa 2400-2040 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,700
Rectangular table with the upper part carved in high relief in the shape of a bread loaf on a mat representing the hieroglyphic sign for "offering" (ḥtp), with two rectangular recesses for libations, and extensive hieroglyphic inscriptions displaying offering formulae along with the titles and name of the deceased: "an offering that the king gives and Anubis, the one upon his mountain, a voice offering of bread and beer for the sole companion, god’s sealer, the revered one before the god, lord of the sky/heaven, In[y]". 14.75 kg, 45.5 cm
Acquired 1970s-1996. Private collection, Switzerland. with a North American collector. London collection, 2016. 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 number no.13001-244462.
Offering tables played a significant role in ritualistic activity within tombs. Their origins may be traced back to the simple act of placing a loaf of bread on a reed mat during Predynastic burials, which gradually evolved into a more formalised and durable expression in stone. The distinctive form also became a hieroglyph, used in words meaning “to be satisfied,” “to be satiated,” and similar expressions, reflecting appropriate sentiments for food and drink offerings. -
Egyptian Faience Amulet Group
Mainly Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Comprising two wedjat amulets, one Pataikos head amulet, and a striding Anubis amulet. 7.69 grams total, 18-30 mm
From an important central London collection formed since the mid 1960s; thence by descent. -
Very Large Egyptian Expedition Lithograph of a Plan of Thebes
Early 19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Proof etching on laid paper of plate 77 from Description de l'Égypte : ou, Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française. entitled Thèbes. Bybân el-Molouk [Bîbân al-Mulûk]. Plan topographique de l'extrémité de la Vallée des Tombeaux des Rois. 532 grams, 102.5 x 69 cm
From the collection of a North American priest. Acquired between 1981-1996. Property of a North American collector.
Produced between February 1802 and 1830 on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte; published between 1809 and 1828. Just 1,000 copies were distributed to various institutions, printed on laid paper with an 'Égypte ancienne et moderne' watermark. The book is subtitled Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l’expédition de l’Armée française, publié par les ordres de Sa Majesté l’Empereur Napoléon le Grand (Gathering of observations and discoveries which were made in Egypt during the expedition of the French army, published on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon the Great). It was the world's first encyclopedia devoted exclusively to the remains of ancient Egypt. The plates of this book are the first to present the archaeological sites of Thebes (Luxor).
