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LOT 0494
Egyptian Bronze Statue of Isis with Inscribed Base
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
8 5/8 in. (875 grams, 22.1 cm including stand).
Seated figure of the goddess, wearing a vulture headdress from which the bird’s head projects, topped by a crown consisting of a low modius of rearing cobras, surmounted by cow horns and a central sun disk; a tight-fitting three-quarter-length dress; shown suckling the naked infant Horus, with a uraeus at his brow; the goddess’s feet rest on a plinth, of which two sides are inscribed with a dedication, only partially preserved: (May) Isis give life (to) Wennenefer [......] Ankh-hor-(en)-sa (Ꜣst rdı͗ Ꜥnḫ wn n nfr [……] ꜥnḫ ḥr (n) sꜢ (?)). [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the estate of Alexander Dobkin (1908-1975), New York, USA, acquired prior to 1975.
Thence by descent to his daughter, Katherine Dobkin, New York, USA.
Cf. Daressy, G., Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire N° 38001-39384 Statues de divinités, Cairo, 1906, p. 332 (CG39323), pl. LXII, for a similar example.
FootnotesIsis, one of the principal goddesses of the Egyptian pantheon, was revered as divine mother, protector of kingship, and mistress of magic. As the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus, she embodied maternal care, resurrection, and cosmic order, playing a central role in myths of death and renewal. Isis lactans statuettes emphasise this intimate maternal relationship and its protective and regenerative power; such bronzes were widely dedicated in temples and domestic shrines as votive objects invoking divine protection, healing, and royal legitimacy.
The lacuna in the inscription on this example most likely supplied the filiation between the two named individuals.
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Egyptian Steatite Bifacial Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
A double-sided rectangular amulet; one side features a central cartouche with the hieroglyphic name of the god “Amun” and a neb sign, flanked by two Maat feathers, all framed by a hatched border at the top and bottom; the other side depicts the reclining ram of Amun-Re with the seated figure of Maat in front, and the word "Amun" in hieroglyphs above the ram; drilled for suspension. 2.26 grams, 18 mm
Ex Constable collection, 1990s. Ex P. Morris collection.
An amulet with a similar overall design was discovered in a Ramesside-period tomb at Tell el-Retaba, an important production centre involved in trade with Syria-Palestine and protected by a fortress (Petrie, W.M.F., Duncan, J.G., Hyksos and Israelite Cities, London, 1906, pl. XXXIV, Tomb 8). -
Historic Collection of 565 Slides of Egyptian Archaeological Sites and Artefacts
1960s-1980s A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £845
Housed in five linen-covered boxes, covering ancient Egypt, Tutankhamun jewellery, Nefetari, Amun Hr Khopshef, Khaemwast, Tuthmosis IV, Tye, Archaic stele, maceheads, inscriptions, pottery, sculpture, Saqqara tombs, Esna etc. 3.85 kg total, 26.5 x 16.5 x 6.5 cm each box
Property of archaeologist Stephanie Gee, N.W. London, UK, 1960s-1980s.
Stephanie Gee was a prominent archaeologist who took part in several expeditions in Egypt. She was a trusted assistant to the British-Australian archaeologist Veronica Seton-Williams, who excavated in Egypt, Britain, and the Near East. Stephanie also took part in the Tell El-Farâ'în expeditions of 1965-1968, and assisted Seton-Williams with preparing the 1966 expedition report. Their collaboration continued and Stephanie helped with the manuscript of Seton-Williams’ book ‘The Road to El-Aguzein’, a narrative account of her life that was first published in 1988. -
Romano-Egyptian Terracotta Frog Lamp
Circa 2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Ovoid-shaped and biconvex in section, decorated with a frog design; impressed palmette maker's mark to the base 86 grams, 77 mm
From the collection of a late Tavistock, Devon, UK, gentleman, formed from the 1990s.