Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0012
Egyptian Bronze Anubis Finial
LATE PERIOD-PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 664-30 B.C.
5 in. (377 grams total, 12.5 cm high including stand).
Standing before an enigmatic balloon-like object on a rectangular base with two supports flanking a short shank; mounted on a custom-made stand.
Provenance
Believed to have been collected (1899-1914) and in an early 20th century collection, with some references to Psamtik I, and a German funded expedition.
Ex Ludwig Borchardt, Heliop.
Private collection of Mr T.H., Norfolk, UK.
Accompanied by a handwritten note from Ludwig Borchardt.
Literature
Cf. Tiribilli, E., The bronze figurines of the Petrie Museum from 2000 BC to AD 400, GHP Egyptology 28, London, 2018, p.184, cat.no.259, for a less elaborate Wepwawet standard terminal.
Footnotes
Wepwawet, the canine god, is strongly linked with Abydos and kingship. His name means 'Opener of the Ways' and may have had military connotations as someone who clears the path for his king. In funerary texts, Wepwawet guided the dead through the Underworld. The image of the god on a standard, as seen in this example, was carried in processions associated with Osiris and kingship. The balloon-like object, known as shed-shed, is mysterious but may have symbolised the royal placenta, which was considered the king's 'double'.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Phoenician Glass Bead Collection
Circa 6th-4th century B.C. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £260
Comprising mainly black glass beads with dragged trails in contrasting colours; a pale blue bead with eye motifs; a hemispherical green glass bead or weight; and a triangular pendant with red, yellow, blue and white banding. 58 grams total, 9-32 mm
UK private collection formed 1970s-1990s. Property of an East Sussex, UK, gentleman. -
Egyptian Faience Amulet Group
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £80
Comprising: pierced rosette pendant; Isis suckling Horus pendant; winged serpent plaque; scaraboid with high-relief Horus to the domed face and 'Men-Kheper-Ra' for Thutmose III to the underside, mounted on a stand with an impression. 38.5 grams total, 23-56 mm
Acquired from a private UK collection in the late 1990s. Private collection of Mr T.H., Norfolk, UK. -
Large Egyptian Bronze Osiris with Silver-Inlaid Eyes
Late Period, 26th-30th Dynasty, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,500
Modelled mummiform with arms crossed at the chest, holding crook and flail with highlighted features, wearing a plaited false beard and Atef crown mounted on two curved ram's horns, flanked by detailed ostrich feathers and frontal uraeus; natural facial detailing with silver inlaid eyes and large protruding ears; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 1.15 kg total, 31 cm high including stand
Norman Blankman collection, New York, 1960s. P.G. collection, New York, USA. with Art for Eternity, New York. with Bonhams, London, 6 July 2023, lot 360. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11945-210564.
Osiris was the foremost of ancient Egyptian funerary deities and lord of the underworld. Many statuettes of the god were offered in temples dedicated in his name, and have also been discovered in other contexts including animal necropoleis and temples dedicated to other gods.