Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 0032

Egyptian Bust of Ptah

LATE PERIOD, 26TH-30TH DYNASTY, CIRCA 664-343 B.C.

8 3/4 in. (1.39 kg total, 22.3 cm high including stand).

A white limestone figure of the god Ptah with false beard, wearing an enveloping cloak and a broad wesekh-collar, holding the shaft of a was sceptre; serene, oval face with almond-shaped eyes and fleshy lips; remnants of dorsal pillar to reverse; mounted on a custom-made display stand.

Provenance

Ex private Belgium collection, 1960s.
with Vanderkindere Auctions, Brussels, Belgium, 26 February 2013, lot 261.
English private collection.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11605-199743.
Accompanied by a scholarly note by Egyptologist Paul Whelan.

Literature

Cf. The Walters Museum, accession number 54.1017, for a similar figure in bronze created within this time period.

Footnotes

Ptah is attested from the beginning of ancient Egypt’s dynastic history and was a creator god, a god of craftsmen, and the patron deity of the Memphite region. The principal temple of the god was located in the city of Memphis.

The fragmentary back pillar on this statuette indicates that it was most probably a temple offering, originally inscribed with an invocation to Ptah together with the donor’s name. Such votive figurines with back pillars naming the god and the dedicator occur in various materials, including faience and stone.

CONDITION

VETTING:

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.

LOT 0032

Egyptian Bust of Ptah

Sold for (Inc. bp): £13,000

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Egyptian Gold Bird Amulet
    Egyptian Gold Bird Amulet
    New Kingdom, 1550-1070 B.C.

    Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £200

    A bifacial gold amulet in the form of a perching bird, possibly a vulture, with stylised detailing to the head, wings and feet; pierced between tail and chest for suspension. 0.86 grams, 11 mm

    Fine condition.

    Early 20th century French collection.

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Blue Glazed Ra Amulet
    Egyptian Blue Glazed Ra Amulet
    Late New Kingdom, circa 1550-1070 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690

    A blue glazed composition figure of the advancing god Ra (possibly Ra-Horakhty), falcon-headed and wearing a sun disc, set on an integral rectangular base, left leg positioned in front of the right, arms held straight by his sides, wearing a wig and kilt; tapering pillar with suspension loop behind solar disc; repaired. 18.4 grams, 87 mm high



    Acquired from Dr Jan Beekmans, circa 1982. UK private collection.

    In ancient Egypt, Ra sat as the king of all the deities and the father of all creation, the god who could not only govern the sun, but who transformed himself into the sun. He was associated with the falcon, hence he is typically portrayed as a human with a falcon's head. The major cultic centre for Ra was the ancient city Iwnw, known as Heliopolis to the Greeks, which today lies under modern Cairo. The ancient Egyptians were an agricultural society inhabiting a desert; the sun (and thus Ra) was an integral component of their world view. Placed on the chest of the deceased, this amulet offered the wearer the chance of eternal renewal each morning with the sun.

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Agate Scarab Group
    Egyptian Agate Scarab Group
    Graeco-Roman Period, 332 B.C.-323 A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £364

    A group of two carved agate scarabs, pierced for suspension; simple detailing to the wings, heads and legs. 1.6 grams total, 9-11 mm



    Acquired 1980s. Private collection of L.H., Staffordshire, UK. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list