Egyptian Bronze Seated Cat Statuette

Globular body with short socket and thickened rim; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 457 grams total, mace: 60 mm high



Ex Norman Fargo collection. with Olympia Auctions, 26 June 2024, no.119. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Norman Fargo was born in Los Angeles, California in 1945, the son of Hungarian immigrant Frank and his wife, Rose. His lifelong passion for collecting began at the age of six with a simple interest in rocks. By the 1960s, Norman had become a dedicated student of antique arms and armour, developing a deep appreciation for both craftsmanship and historical context. He began collecting at a time when many items now considered rare were still relatively accessible. A friendship with renowned collector Howard Curtis—whose important collection was partially sold at Christie’s, London in 1984—opened doors to early and exceptional material. Norman also acquired outstanding pieces from respected figures such as Frank Bivens and others known today through museum and auction catalogue provenance. Alongside his core collection of arms and armour (c.1450-1700), Norman developed an eye for period furniture and accessories. He also built a growing collection of Pre-Columbian art with an emphasis on Southern Mexican cultures, particularly Veracruz, as well as fine examples of Japanese Satsuma ware and cloisonné.

The reddish granite base and lower part of a kneeling statue of Prince Parahirwenemef, preserving the feet and lower legs with finely detailed sandals and well-modelled toes; part of the kilt survives, with a line of sunken hieroglyphs on either side; a broad front pillar and narrower back pillar rise from the base, both inscribed, while hieroglyphic inscriptions continue around all four sides of the plinth; the mirrored base inscriptions comprise offering formulae invoking Amun-Ra on behalf of the prince together with a series of his royal and military titles, including "royal scribe", "overseer of horses", "troop commander", "group marshaler", and the previously unattested title tpy n mšꜥ ("chief of troops"); a separate inscription on the rear of the plinth names the noblewoman Wadjet-khayty as sn.t=f mr=f ("his sister/wife, his beloved"), providing the first substantial evidence for her relationship with the prince and strongly suggesting that she was his wife. 140 kg, 58.5 cm



Private collection of Mr A., acquired circa 1983-1984. Thence by descent, private collection since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12887-241732. An article on this significant piece is currently being prepared by Egyptologist Paul Whelan.

Prince Parahirwenemef, the third son of Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari, is depicted in several relief scenes and two colossal statues associated with Ramesses II's temples, as well as in two smaller statues, both surviving only in fragmentary form. The inscriptions on this previously unrecorded statue base preserve the previously unattested military title tpy n mšꜥ ("chief of troops"), expanding the known titulary of Parahirwenemef and reinforcing his close association with the Ramesside chariot corps. The monument also provides the first substantial evidence concerning the noblewoman Wadjet-khayty, previously known only from a brief reference to a lost Karnak monument, strongly supporting her identification as the prince's wife. Together, the inscriptions make an important contribution to the study of Ramesside royal genealogy, military administration, and princely sculpture.

Neferhotep depicted advancing on a rectangular base, holding in the left hand the was sceptre, topped with the stylised head of an animal linked to the god Seth, with the right arm held rigid by the side with a clenched fist; wearing a Pschent crown with uraeus above the brow, a short, pleated shendyt kilt, and a broad multi-strand collar; the head features a tightly curled wig, false beard, and lentoid wire rims around the eyes; mounted on a custom-made stand. 345 grams total, 17.3 cm high including stand



Private collection of Mrs Bogaert, formed in 1949, Ghent, near Brussels, Belgium. Ex private collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13310-258230.

Neferhotep was explicitly recognised as a deity with a cult only from the Late Period, although it may have been understood earlier and later as the incarnation of the youthful divine king, since pharaohs from the 18th Dynasty to the Ptolemaic Period are sometimes depicted wearing the same wig. Neferhotep, whose name translates as 'the perfect one is at peace,' was considered to be the son of Hathor and was venerated at Hu (Diospolis Parva), as well as at Karnak, Dendera, and Behbeit el-Hagar. Provenanced statues of the god originate from the Memphite region.