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LOT 0019
Egyptian Bronze Statue of Neith
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
5 in. (162 grams total, 12.7 cm including stand).
Modelled in the round in a striding pose wearing a tight-fitting robe and sporting the Red (deshret) Crown of Lower Egypt; eyes inlaid with silver, an elaborate ornamental collar to the chest; the right arm hanging at the side, the left arm bent at the elbow with hand clenched to accept a staff, possibly a papyrus sceptre; mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceFrom a 1940s collection based on the base and remains of label verso.
From the Keane private collection, Kent, UK.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12479-229477.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Cf. Daressy, G., Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire N° 38001-39384 Statues de divinités, Cairo, 1906, pl. XLVIII no.38954, for a complete example with an elaborate collar; Tiribilli, E., The bronze figurines of the Petrie Museum from 2000 BC to AD 400, GHP Egyptology 28, London, 2018, p.117, for a discussion of this statuette type.
FootnotesNeith is one of the oldest ancient Egyptian deities with roots in the Early Dynastic Period. She is often depicted as a woman wearing the Red Crown of Lower Egypt and carrying a sceptre, symbolising her divine power. As a warrior and mother figure, Neith embodies creation, wisdom, and warfare. Her cult rose in prominence during the Ramesside Period as she became linked with the sun god. The primary centre of her worship was the city of Sais in the western Nile Delta, which became a significant religious and political hub during the 26th Dynasty (664–525 B.C.). Kings of this era claimed her as their protector and identified with her in royal titles.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Limestone Relief Fishing Scene
Saite Period, 664-525 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £13,000
Irregular fragment of a low-relief frieze showing the hips and legs of two standing figures: left, torso with short kilt gathered at the waist and portions of legs below, body of a fish behind with long dorsal and ventral fins, small tail; right, torso of a figure similarly clad with right forearm and hand gripping a fishing line and upper portion of a fish attached; applied red-maroon pigment to skin areas; mounted in an old stand. 675 grams, 23 cm wide including stand
Private collection, Europe. with Sotheby's, London, July 1991, no.162. Acquired by the current owner from the above. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Sotheby's catalogue pages. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12585-232180. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
The crisp and detailed carving and colour palette are reminiscent of reliefs from the grand Theban tomb of Montuemhat, Mayor and Fourth Priest of Amun (circa 700-650 B.C.). -
Egyptian Silver Fly Amulet
Late-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
With linear detailing to body and wings, loop above the head. 2 grams, 24 mm
From an early 20th century collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Small fly amulets first appeared in burials during the Naqada II Period, c. 3200 B.C. These amulets grew in popularity and the materials used to make them expanded during the New Kingdom. They are crafted from a variety of materials such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, amethyst, faience, and bone. These amulets were thought to protect against insect bites and to ward off troublesome flying creatures through apotropaic magic. Some believe they may have even been intended to symbolise the fly’s fecundity. Additionally, pharaohs would bestow gold fly-shaped pendants as military awards to honour the bravery and fly-like persistence of soldiers in battle. -
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Egyptian Wooden Cow Giving Birth Diorama with Two Figures
Middle Kingdom, 11th-12th Dynasty, 2023-1862 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Comprising three figures to represent a calving scene: a standing cow or other quadruped giving birth to its young, its head, neck and forelegs emerging from the mother's rear, both with a black and white speckled coat; a standing male figure with articulated arms and pierced hands, wearing a kilt and cropped wig and with stylised facial detailing; a kneeling figure also with articulated arms, open-palm hands, wearing a kilt and cropped wig, stylised facial features; extensive remains of polychrome pigment. 113 grams total, 9.5-16 cm
From an early 20th century Home Counties collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11597-199209. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Such models would have been deposited in tombs; the purpose of such a scene was probably to evoke the season of spring, when calves were born, and the floodplain where farmers lived and raised their livestock.
