Egyptian Blue Glazed Hieroglyphic Shabti for Ta-Amun

Modelled in the half-round as a man standing on an integral plinth, round face with short curly hair, wide eyes, a slender nose and a small mouth; wearing a Greek himation wrapped around his body and feet enclosed in Romano-Egyptian sandals; the left arm lowered and holding a cluster of grapes; his right arm bent at the elbow and holding a roll; remains of red and dark brown pigment on the face and clothing. 50 kg, 81.5 cm



Property of a Surrey lady; acquired by her father Christopher Terry circa 1980. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12603-233353. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Limestone niches with polychrome representations of the deceased were common in Roman Egypt, and lasted until the time of the Arab conquest. The man depicted on this stele certainly belonged to the high contemporary nobility as is evidenced by his well-pleated clothing, which identifies him as a member of local Graeco-Roman aristocracy.

Encaustic painting on thin linen fabric, upper part of the funeral shroud with half-length representation of the deceased, representing the bust of a young man in the guise of mummiform Osiris holding implements of his divinity, black hair, wearing a gilt broad collar (maniakion) and netting, pink dress ornamented with rosettes, traces of halo in white pigment; set in a glazed frame. 4.3 kg, 58 x 63 cm including frame



Collection of the estate of Patti Cadby Birch (1923-2007), New York, USA. with Sotheby’s, New York, Antiquities, 5 June 2008, sale no.8452, no.105. European private collection, acquired thereafter. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S00014603. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12612-234638. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Fayum portraits, painted on wood or linen, applied to the mummies of the Graeco-Roman period, are one of the most wonderful legacies that the koiné of the Graeco-Roman world has left us. Due to the favourable climate enhancing the state of preservation, these encaustic paintings have left us an almost photographic testimony of the faces of the inhabitants of Roman Egypt. The realistic portrait shows here the idea of the deceased as Osiris. This idea, already existing in the Ptolemaic Period regardless of the gender of the person represented, continued to exist in the Graeco-Roman period. The deceased is undoubtedly a young man, beardless, with black and slightly frizzy hair. A similar male portrait with the same type of clothing, the attributes: nimbus and the identifying elements of Osiris can be found in a portrait now in Paris (Parlasca, 2003, no.771, pl.172,3). Patti Cadby Birch (1923-2007) was a prominent American philanthropist and collector, known for her significant contributions to the arts. A patron of institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, she supported numerous exhibitions and acquisitions, particularly in the fields of antiquities and Islamic art. Works from her esteemed collection have been widely exhibited and are held in several major museum collections.

Comprising a round-section tapering body with intricate scale detailing, the head resting on the body, detailed face with closed mouth and rounded eyes, an applied gold annulet with two granules above the head; part of the tail absent. 6.79 grams, 26.03 mm overall, 15.77 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J, USA 4 3/4, Europe 8.69, Japan 8)



Ex Dr Leo Mildenberg, Zurich, 1990s. Acquired by Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, from the above in 1999. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Snake rings were not originally a traditional form in Egypt and only became common during the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods. Animal-shaped rings, including those with snake motifs, originated in Western Asia around the eighth century BC, spread to Greece by the fifth century BC, and were introduced to Egypt primarily through the Ptolemaic Period. In Greek culture, snakes were often linked to healing, though they likely carried other symbolic meanings as well.