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LOT 0022
Egyptian Faience Shabti for Nes-Khonsu
THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD, 21ST-22ND DYNASTY, CIRCA 1085-713 B.C.
4 3/4 in. (166 grams, 12.2 cm).
A pale blue-green faience mummiform shabti, with arms crossed and holding a hoe in each hand, wearing a tripartite wig with a headband with ties hanging down at the back; a seed bag suspended below the wig; the outline of the eyes, eyebrows, hoes, and seed bag painted black; a central column of hieroglyphs on the front reading: wsı͗r šmꜤyt n ı͗mn ns-ḫns.w ‘The Osiris, chantress of Amun, Nes-Khonsu.’
ProvenanceEx German private collection.
Acquired from Galerie BB-Antiken & Asiatika with stock reference no.366/08.
From the private collection of a Belgian collector.
Ex TimesAncient, Bristol, UK.
Accompanied by a copy of the Galerie BB-Antiken & Asiatika certificate dated 1 December 2008.
Accompanied by a copy of a previous catalogue entry.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
For the name Nes-Khonsu, see Ranke, H., Die Ägyptischen Personennamen, Band I, p. 178, no.20.
FootnotesNes-Khnosu (and the variant Nesy-Khonsu) were common names during the Third Intermediate Period. However, the combination of the name and title in the dedication on this shabti is less common. It is possible that this shabti comes from tomb 339 at Deir el-Medineh in Western Thebes. The tomb was discovered by Bernard Bruyère in 1929 (Rapports préliminaires Deir el Médineh, Cairo, 1930, p. 89, 92), from where blue faience shabtis bearing the same dedication were recovered.
Traditionally, chantresses were female performers who acted as dancers and rhythmic musicians. Like Nes-Khnosu, many were associated with temples and played significant roles in religious festivals.
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Monumental Levantine-Egyptian Stone Head of a Pharaoh
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £46,800
An over-life-size head of a pharaoh, likely from a monumental sphinx, wearing the royal nemes headdress with a prominent headband and the remains of a rearing uraeus on the brow with a single coil of the body on either side of the cobra’s hood, its tail extending towards the back of the headdress; the large, almond-shaped eyes prominently outlined, and unlike on some portraits, the cosmetic lines do not extend beyond the outer corner; the fragmentary nose almost spanning the width of the small mouth modelled with straight and somewhat pursed lips; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 45.15 kg, 43 cm
Private collection, Germany, 1975. European collection, 1980s-late 1990s. By descent from the above to the present owner. Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12201-218142. 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 presence of tool marks around the neck and sides of the head, contrasting the smooth surface of the face and front part of the headdress, suggests that the sculpture is an unfinished piece. The noticeably heavy brow line is a feature of the 30th Dynasty style, which then influenced Ptolemaic royal portraiture (cf. Tomoum, N., The Sculptors' Models of the Late and Ptolemaic Periods, Cairo, 2006, pl.17, for a finished portrait assigned to the 30th Dynasty). -
Romano-Egyptian Terracotta Figure of Baubo
Ptolemaic Period, 2nd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £700 - 900 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £350
The squatting figure depicted nude, a garland upon her propoloma and thick braids falling on her shoulders, her legs bent and spread wide, her right hand touching her genitals and the left hand raised holding a lotus flower. 375 grams, 15.8 cm
with Superior Galleries, Los Angeles, USA. Ex Dr W. Benson Harer, Los Angeles, USA, March 1985. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
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. -
Egyptian Ithyphallic Terracotta Reclining Figure
Ptolemaic Period, 3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Probably depicting young Harpocrates, holding his weight on his left arm, enormous phallus resting between his spread legs, shaved head and side-lock braid. 319 grams, 13 cm vwide
The Erotica Collection Christian von Faber-Castell, Küsnacgt ZH, Switzerland, since the late 1970s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
A few early Hellenistic terracotta figures show the ithyphallic youth Harpocrates reclining on his phallus, usually depicted (when preserved) with a bald or shaved head and side-lock, sometimes in Macedonian dress. Some in this form have hermaphrodite-like features, although this may be little more than just the representation of a plump baby. Christian von Faber-Castell (born 1950) is a renowned German entrepreneur and art collector, best known as a member of the prominent Faber-Castell family, famed for their iconic writing instruments. A passionate advocate for art and culture, Christian von Faber-Castell curated an extensive and diverse private collection of erotica, spanning centuries and cultures. His collection reflects a deep appreciation for the interplay of beauty, sensuality, and artistic expression, bringing together rare and unique works that explore themes of intimacy and human connection. Pieces from this collection have been featured in notable exhibitions and are celebrated for their artistic and historical significance. This offering represents a rare opportunity to acquire works from one of the most fascinating and eclectic private collections of its kind.
