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LOT 0001
Egyptian Bronze Figure of Osiris
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
8 1/4 in. (811 grams total, 21 cm including stand).
Solid cast mummiform figure standing on an integral plinth; the god cloaked in a tight-fitting shroud, sporting the ostrich-plumed atef crown with uraeus, divine beard, and holding the characteristic crook and flail regalia; traces of gilding remain; mounted on a custom-made display stand.
ProvenancePrivate collection, 19th century, thence by descent.
Private collection, Neuchâtel.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12195-222135.
Cf. Roeder, G., Ägyptische Bronzefiguren II, Berlin, 1956, pl. 22e, for similar figurine.
FootnotesOsiris is a deity who represents death and fertility and is commonly regarded as the quintessential god of rebirth. Though he was once a mortal ruler, as a deceased entity, his domain was the Underworld. Abydos was the primary centre of Osiris’s cult, where a renowned yearly celebration of the god was held.
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:
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Egyptian Faience Beaded Sons of Horus Panel
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Openwork restrung panel depicting Imsety, Hapy, Duamutef, and Qebehsenuef, the Four Sons of Horus with a winged scarab above; restrung. 21.4 grams, 12 cm
Ex Mariaud de Serres, Paris, France, 1990s. From a London, UK, collection.
Winged scarabs were often used as funerary amulets and believed to symbolise the deceased's rebirth and regeneration. The Four Sons of Horus were deities responsible for protecting the deceased's internal organs. Here, on the left, is the erect-eared jackal-headed Duamutef, who protects the stomach. Next is the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef, who protects the intestines. Then comes the human-headed Imsety, protector of the liver, and finally, the baboon-headed Hapy on the right, protector of the lungs. -
Romano-Egyptian Statuette of Thoth in Baboon Form
Roman Period, 30 B.C.-323 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Carved hardstone figure of a Hamadryas Baboon (papio hamadryus), sacred to Thoth, crouching with his forepaws resting on his knees and wearing a segmented and banded hood and collar with elaborately carved textural detailing; face chipped and lower body absent. 243 grams, 10.6 cm
Ex Yorkshire, UK, collection, 1960s-1980s.
The baboon was considered an embodiment of the god Thoth. The animal was associated with both the sun and the moon, often depicted wearing a moon and crescent headgear. Together, these aspects symbolised the cycle of rebirth, as it was believed that the deceased travelled through the night and was reborn at dawn. Thoth was highly regarded for his connection to knowledge, healing, and writing. Scribes would wear a Thoth baboon amulet to ensure continued professional success. In the Roman era, Thoth became the 'primary pseudonymous authority for diverse priestly texts' (Frankfurter, D., Religion in Roman Egypt,New Jersey, 1998, p.240). As some religious centres with animal cults were maintained in the Roman Period, it is possible that this figurine was a votive offering to the god. Baboon figurines have also been discovered in Isis sanctuaries in Rome. This discovery may indicate the mythological connection between the two deities, as Thoth provides words to Isis, enabling her to revive her husband, Osiris. -
Egyptian Gold Winged Plaque
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Rectangular foil plaque with repoussé design of a winged scarab; edges pierced for attachment. 0.47 grams, 22 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
