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LOT 0050
Egyptian Bronze Harpocrates Statue
26TH DYNASTY, 664-525 B.C.
7 3/4 in. (480 grams total, 19.8 cm including stand).
Modelled in the round, shown nude, seated with his left arm by his side and his right forefinger on his chin, wearing a sidelock of youth, nemes headdress surmounted by an elaborate hem-hem crown; mounted on a custom-made stand with dealer's label to underside.
ProvenanceEx Fitzthum collection, Vermont, New England.
Acquired New York, USA, 2000.
Acquired from Royal Athena Galleries, New York, USA, 20 March 2008.
Ex Keane collection, UK.
Accompanied by a copy of the original Royal Athena Galleries invoice no.11164.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13272-252852.
Cf. Roeder, G., Ägyptische Bronzefiguren II, Berlin, 1956, pl. 20g, for a similar example.
FootnotesHarpocrates is the Greek equivalent of the Egyptian name Hor-pa-khered, which means ‘Horus the Child’. This name refers to Horus as the divine infant of Isis and Osiris. Wearing an amulet of Harpocrates was believed to provide the same protection that Isis granted to her beloved son. Larger bronze statuettes were probably votive offerings to Harpocrates, intended to secure his favour and protection.
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LOT 0050
Egyptian Bronze Harpocrates Statue
Estimate £5,000 - 7,000€5,800 - 8,120 (for guidance only)$6,750 - 9,450 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Stone Recumbent Lion Amulet
Roman Period, 30 B.C.-323 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Resting on a rectangular base with an erect head. 7.26 grams, 29.4 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Phoenician Lapis Lazuli Scarab in Gold Swivel Ring
6th-4th century B.C. and laterEstimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £500
With lightly incised anatomical detailing to the scarab; the underside with a central cartouche flanked by two rearing crowned uraei, a pair of falcons standing above the cartouche facing a smꜣ hieroglyph symbolising union (of the two lands, Upper and Lower Egypt); set into a later gold swivel ring. 4.34 grams, 26.44 mm overall, 15.68 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J 1/2, USA 5, Europe 9.32, Japan 9)
with Bonhams, London, UK, 21 October 1999, no.36. Private collection, Europe. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12370-226696. -
Very Large Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish of Per-Medjed with Hieroglyphic Inscription
Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,000
Modelled in the round on a sledge attached by ventral and pectoral fins, a forked tail, a dorsal ridge, and a tapering nose, featuring recessed circular eyes filled with enamel, a horned sun disc headdress fronted by a uraeus, and a suspension loop behind; a few hieroglyphs of a dedication remain visible on the underside of the sledge, which may be interpreted as ‘….the great give life (to)…’ (…t wr rdi͗ Ꜥnḫ t….); presumably, 'the great' followed the name of a deity, now lost. 585 grams, 17 cm
Acquired from Gallery Reiner, Paris, France, 1981. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.150583 dated 29 November 2013. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12375-226676.
The Medjed, a type of elephant-snout fish (Mormyrus kannume), was revered in ancient Egyptian religion, particularly in Per-Medjed, better known by its Greek name, Oxyrhynchus Polis. This version of the name, meaning "city of the sharp-nosed," reflects the fish's distinctive appearance as depicted in Egyptian art. These fish were believed to have consumed the penis of Osiris, the god who was dismembered and scattered by his brother Seth. As sacred creatures, figurines of the Medjed were often adorned with a horned sun-disc headdress worn by the goddesses Hathor and Isis, suggesting a close association with both. Some figurines, like this example, featured suspension loops, allowing them to be worn as pendant amulets.
