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LOT 0453
Egyptian Faience Figure of Nefertum
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 332-30 B.C.
5 1/8 in. (71 grams total, 13 cm including stand).
In a striding pose with arms at the sides, sporting a black coloured tripartite wig surmounted by the god's distinctive headdress consisting of a lotus flower with two plumes on top; a suspension loop at the back; repaired.
ProvenanceProperty from an American deceased estate, acquired between 1970 and 1989.
with Bonham's, London, 28 October 2009, no.81 [Part].
Cf. Andrews, C., and van Dijk, J., Objects for Eternity: Egyptian Antiquities from the W. Arnold Meijer Collection, Mainz am Rhein, 2006, p.229, no.3.41, for a similar faience figurine.
FootnotesNefertum was closely associated with the creator god Ptah and the goddesses Sekhmet and Bastet. He represented the first sunlight and the sweet scent of the Egyptian blue lotus flower (nymphaea caerulea). According to beliefs, the sun rose from the bloom of a blue lotus, embodying notions of rebirth and rejuvenation. Additionally, as the lotus was seen as a symbol of fertility, it is possible that this amulet was also worn for that purpose.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0453
Egyptian Faience Figure of Nefertum
Estimate £500 - 700€580 - 810 (for guidance only)$680 - 950 (for guidance only)
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Large Romano-Egyptian Terracotta Figure of Baubo
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £400
Modelled as a seated plump female figure; the right hand touching the pubic area beneath the rounded abdomen, wearing a tall headdress of thick braids, falling on her shoulders, smooth back with a vent hole; chipped at left foot and arm. 373 grams, 15.5 cm
with Superior Galleries, Los Angeles, USA. Ex Dr W. Benson Harer, Los Angeles, USA, March 1985.
Baubo was a minor divinity of the Greek mythology, linked to the cult of Demeter and Persephone. The statuette belongs to the second type of Baubo figurines, widespread in the last Ptolemaic and Roman period in Egypt. The Egyptian Baubo figures are split into two groups, and this one belongs to the first group depicting a woman seating frontally whilst holding a musical instrument. In some of these figurines her right hand is touching her genitalia. Many of them were used as amulets or as ex-voto. -
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. -
Egyptian Haematite Mace Head
4th-3rd millennium B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Globular body with short socket and thickened rim; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 457 grams total, mace: 60 mm high
Ex Norman Fargo collection. with Olympia Auctions, 26 June 2024, no.119. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Norman Fargo was born in Los Angeles, California in 1945, the son of Hungarian immigrant Frank and his wife, Rose. His lifelong passion for collecting began at the age of six with a simple interest in rocks. By the 1960s, Norman had become a dedicated student of antique arms and armour, developing a deep appreciation for both craftsmanship and historical context. He began collecting at a time when many items now considered rare were still relatively accessible. A friendship with renowned collector Howard Curtis—whose important collection was partially sold at Christie’s, London in 1984—opened doors to early and exceptional material. Norman also acquired outstanding pieces from respected figures such as Frank Bivens and others known today through museum and auction catalogue provenance. Alongside his core collection of arms and armour (c.1450-1700), Norman developed an eye for period furniture and accessories. He also built a growing collection of Pre-Columbian art with an emphasis on Southern Mexican cultures, particularly Veracruz, as well as fine examples of Japanese Satsuma ware and cloisonné.
