Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0029
Egyptian Bronze Statuette of Osiris
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
5 7/8 in. (63 grams, 15 cm).
A slender standing figure of Osiris in iconic mummiform appearance, wearing the tall conical Atef crown with its flanking Ostrich plumes, and central uraeus, a long, internally-detailed divine beard, and holding the crook (heka) and flail (nekhakha) regalia; with tang under feet for attachment.
Provenance
Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995.
with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003.
Property of a London based academic, 2003-present.
Literature
Cf. Tinius, I., Altägypten in Braunschweig. Die Sammlungen des Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museums und des Städtischen Museums, Wiesbaden, 2011, p.107, no. 161, for a similar example from Aswan.
Footnotes
Osiris 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’ cult, where a renowned yearly celebration of the god was held.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Egyptian Carnelian Eye of Horus Amulet
Circa 1000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
With exceptional eye detailing carved in low-relief to one face. 1.64 grams, 19 mm
Ex R. Liechti (1934-2010) Geneva, Switzerland, formed between 1950-1990s. Accompanied by a copy of an old collection inventory note.
The wedjat-eye amulet is a representation of the healed eye of the god Horus, featuring both human and falcon elements. The name wedjat in ancient Egyptian means ‘the one that is sound.’ According to Egyptian mythology, Horus' eye was wounded or taken by the god Seth and restored by Thoth. The wedjat-eye amulet was thought to protect its wearer and bestow the power of recovery and regeneration onto them. It was very popular and used by both the living and the dead. -
Egyptian Blue Faience Funerary Dish for Modelled Food
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, 1991–1802 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
Shaped as a shallow circular dish. 252 grams, 11.1 cm
Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995. with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003. Property of a London based academic, 2003-present.
Faience food and dish simulacra replaced the wooden food preparation models of the earlier Middle Kingdom. -
Large Egyptian Blue Glazed Hieroglyphic Shabti
26th Dynasty, 664-525 B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £700
Of mummiform type, wearing a tripartite wig and long plaited divine beard, with arms crossed and the left hand holding a pick, the right hand holding a hoe and the cord of a seed bag hanging over his left shoulder; with carefully rendered cosmetic lines around the eyes, narrow eyebrows, and slightly smiling lips giving it a serene expression characteristic of the finest ushabtis of the period; standing on an integral plinth from which a plain back pillar terminating at the base of the wig extends; nine horizontal rows of hieroglyphic inscription, the Sixth Chapter of the Book of the Dead; water worn. 246 grams, 19 cm
Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995. with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003. Property of a London based academic, 2003-present.
Shabti figures could serve as a representation of the deceased and paradoxically also as their servant to carry out arduous manual tasks in the afterlife on behalf of their master. Late Period shabtis were most frequently made of faience, such as this example. The body of a shabti was usually in the form of a mummy from the neck down, depicted with agricultural tools in their hands, such as picks, hoes, and baskets. Chapter 6 from the Book of the Dead, lists the tasks expected of the magical figure. By the Late Period, hundreds of shabtis were often provided for the burial.
