Loading, please wait...
LOT 0007
Egyptian Glazed Composition Shabti for Ka-Nefer
30TH DYNASTY, 380-343 B.C.
4 3/4 in. (78 grams, 12.2 cm high).
Modelled mummiform, hands crossed in front of chest holding pick and hoe, seed bag over shoulder, wearing tripartite wig and false beard, T-shaped arrangement of hieroglyphic inscription to the midriff and lower body; plinth base and plain back pillar to reverse.
ProvenancePrivate collection, New York, USA, early 1980s.
LiteratureCf. Schneider, H.D., Shabtis. An Introduction to the History of Ancient Egyptian Funerary Statuettes with a Catalogue of the Collection of Shabtis in the National Museum of Antiquities at Leiden, 3 Volumes, Leiden, 1977, Vol. 2, p.211 (no. 5.3.2.25) and Vol. 3, p.76, for another shabti of Ka-nefer.
FootnotesThe inscription informs us that Ka-nefer was a wener- priest and scribe of Ptah. His mother's name was Isit-reshuty. He was buried at Saqqara.
CONDITIONTimeLine 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.
-
Egyptian Faience Shabti Group
Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Four blue-glazed mummiform shabtis with worn detail. 20 grams total, 41-52 mm
From the collection of H.N., Milton Keynes, 1980s-1990s. -
Large Egyptian Bronze Statue of Khonsu
Late Period, 26th Dynasty, 664-525 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33,800
Standing in advancing pose on a rectangular base; the god modelled with a disk representing the full-moon surmounting a crescent new moon atop his head and fronted by a uraeus, the falcon-head sports a finely striated tripartite wig and with beaded silver wire frames to the (once inlaid) eyes; wearing a broad wesekh collar; the left arm bent and fist drilled to grip a staff, right arm straight to the side with similar drilled fist; pleated shendyt kilt and belt to the hips; mounted on a tiered socle base. 896 grams total, 27 cm including stand
Very fine condition.
Smith family collection, Cambridge, UK since 1949. Private UK collection since 1978. Accompanied by a scholarly note 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.11033-183985.
The moon god Khonsu (whose name means 'wanderer', referring to the passage of the moon across the sky) is known as a blood-thirsty sky-deity in the Pyramid Texts. In New Kingdom Thebes, however, he was regarded as a far more benevolent deity, being the child of Amun and Mut, and provided with his own temple at Karnak. There, he was considered to control destiny. Khonsu can appear in human form with a side-lock of youth, wearing an enveloping garment, and holding royal regalia, and also as a falcon-headed man with the full moon and crescent new moon headdress, as with this fine example. In his falcon-headed form he frequently holds an ankh symbol and a was-sceptre, for which the hands of this piece were drilled to accept the god's well-known attributes. -
Romano-Egyptian Lapis Lazuli Dice
Roman Period, 30 B.C.-323 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
Ring-and-dot markings disposed 1:6, 2:5, 3:4. 4 grams, 12 mm
Rare.
From an early 20th century UK collection.