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_900x900.jpg "Egyptian Limestone False Door Relief Panel")
_200x200.jpg "Egyptian Limestone False Door Relief Panel")
.jpg "Egyptian Limestone False Door Relief Panel")
LOT 0006
Egyptian Limestone False Door Relief Panel
MIDDLE KINGDOM, CIRCA 1900-1750 B.C.
11 1/4 in. (4.12 kg, 28.7 cm).
Rectangular panel from a false door stela carved in sunk relief with raised vertical borders framing a scene with a male figure wearing a knee-length kilt, collar and short wig, seated on a stool with lion-claw feet, holding a bolt of cloth in his left hand; before him, a pedestal table with splayed feet, the top laden with vertical loaves; traces of pigment to the collar, kilt and table; rear face dressed but plain.
ProvenanceAcquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
Cf. Hein, I., and Satzinger, H., Stelen des Mittleren Reiches II: einschliesslich der I. und II. zwischenzeit Kunsthistorisches Museum, Wien ägyptisch-orientalische sammlung, Corpus Antiquitatum Aegyptiacarum, Mainz am Rhein, 1993, pp.136-139 for a complete false door stela with a similar scene of the deceased seated before an offering table.
FootnotesThe ancient Egyptians believed the soul of the departed could move in and out of the tomb using a ‘false door.’ This door was identified by a recessed surface with a symbolic entrance at its centre. In the Middle Kingdom, the false door design was combined with other elements or represented by a raised border and cornice above on rectangular stelae.
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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Egyptian Bronze Ibis Attachment
Late Period, 664-332 B.C. or laterEstimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
Modelled in the round squatting on an ellipsoid base, lug to the underside, repaired. 114 grams, 60 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
The ibis, particularly the sacred species known as the Egyptian ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus), held a prominent place in ancient Egyptian religion and culture as a manifestation of the god Thoth. Revered as the deity of wisdom, writing, and knowledge, Thoth was often depicted in human form with the head of an ibis. During the Late Period onwards, the practice of mummifying ibises became widespread, leading to the creation of vast necropolises dedicated to these sacred birds. In places like Saqqara and Hermopolis, thousands of ibis mummies have been discovered in specially constructed catacombs. The mummification of these birds was not merely a ritual act; it was seen as a sacred offering to Thoth, meant to honour the god and seek his favour. Egyptians believed that by preserving the ibis through mummification, they could ensure its safe passage to the afterlife, establishing a direct connection between the earthly realm and the divine. These mummies were often accompanied by votive offerings, like this bronze figurine, further emphasising the relationship between the ibises and Thoth. -
Egyptian Pale Green Faience Shabti
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Mummiform figure with dorsal pillar, hands folded across the chest holding a pick and flail, with seed bag over left shoulder. 29.8 grams, 90 mm
Acquired 1950s-1960s. From the estate of a deceased Norfolk, UK, gentleman. Accompanied by a dealer's information display card. -
Egyptian Bronze Head of Harpocrates
Late Period, circa 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Head from a statuette of Harpocrates, wearing the Pschent crown fronted by uraeus, sporting the large plaited sidelock above the right ear. 86.5 grams, 60 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
Harpocrates is the Greek rendering of the Egyptian Hor-pa-khered, meaning 'Horus the Child'. This title refers to Horus as the divine infant of Isis and Osiris. Wearing the amulet of Harpocrates was believed to offer the same protection that Isis gave her beloved son.
