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LOT 0469
Egyptian Brown Quartzite Figure of the Baboon God Thoth
NEW KINGDOM, CIRCA 1550-1070 B.C.
5 7/8 in. (1.15 kg, 15 cm).
Carved in a typical pose, sitting on its haunches with its tail curving around the right side, its front paws resting on its knees and protruding beneath its thick furry pelt, with incised detailing, its feet either side of the phallus, the head with bulbous, striated hair on either side, chipped, snout restored; seated on a high shrine-shaped plinth with squared front and rounded back, featuring a cavetto cornice and roll detailing on the upper part.
ProvenanceFrom a deceased American estate, 1970-1989.
with Bonhams, London, 28 October 2009, no.35.
Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams 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.12368-226706.
Cf. seated baboon of brown quartzite, Kozloff, A.P. & Bryan, B.M., Egypt's Dazzling Sun, Cleveland, 1992, fig 36, p.227.
FootnotesThe baboon was an animal manifestation of the god Thoth, the patron deity of Hermopolis Magna, who was revered for his association with knowledge, writing, and healing.
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LOT 0469
Egyptian Brown Quartzite Figure of the Baboon God Thoth
Estimate £4,000 - 6,000€4,640 - 6,960 (for guidance only)$5,400 - 8,100 (for guidance only)
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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. -
Egyptian Faience Scaraboid with Hieroglyphs
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Bifacial scaraboid with hieroglyphs including an ankh to one side and the other with a wedjat. 0.75 grams, 13 mm
From a late Warwickshire numismatic collector, his collection formed from the early 1980s. -
Egyptian Faience Amulet Group
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Comprising three heart amulets, two phallic amulets, and a ribbed fruit amulet. 11.6 grams total, 16-25 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.