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LOT 0019
Egyptian Granite Seated Figure of an Official
MIDDLE KINGDOM, 2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
7 3/8 in. (4.1 kg, 18.7 cm).
Comprising the torso and legs clad in an ankle-length robe and seated on a rectangular-section seat with stepped base and short, curved backrest and rear dorsal pillar; the left hand carved with the palm resting along the thigh; the right hand similarly placed but with the hand gripping a folded piece of cloth of which the ends are draped over the lower thigh above the knee; traces of an old label to reverse.
ProvenancePrivate collection, Europe.
with Bonhams & Brooks, 8th November 2001, no.265.
Private collection, Europe.
Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams & Brooks 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.12584-232097.
Cf. Habachi, L., Elephantine IV: The Sanctuary of Heqaib II, pls. 39-41, for a complete statue from the time of Amenemhat II- Senwosret II with similar treatment of the lower portion of the garment; Oppenheim, A., et al (eds.), Ancient Egypt Transformed: The Middle Kingdom, pp.128-130, cat. 63, for an official from the reign of Senwosret III wearing a longer cloak-like garment and seated on a similarly shaped seat.
FootnotesThe official would have been shown wearing a longer cloak-like garment rather than a waist-height kilt, as the line of the folded edge is visible above where a waistband would typically be.
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:
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LOT 0019
Egyptian Granite Seated Figure of an Official
Estimate £2,500 - 3,500€2,900 - 4,060 (for guidance only)$3,380 - 4,730 (for guidance only)
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Oval body with domed upper face and piecrust rim, underside with a cartouche containing the signs neb-ka-raand flanked by stylised cobra and falcon signs. 1.67 grams, 19 mm
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Shabtis in daily life dress appeared in the late 18th Dynasty. By the late Ramesside Period, the general form had developed into the so-called “reis” or overseer figure, often depicted holding a whip. This form gained popularity during the subsequent 21st and 22nd Dynasties. Although this shabti lacks a whip, the bent arm is characteristic of those holding such a tool, suggesting that it belongs to the “reis” type. Ideally, there was one overseer shabti for every ten, typically mummiform, “worker” shabtis. -
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Ex London, UK, art market, 1990s.
