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LOT 0054
Egyptian Limestone Fresco with Servant Carrying Geese
NEW KINGDOM, 1580-1077 B.C.
16 x 12 5/8 in. (6.8 kg, 40.5 x 32.2 cm).
Rectangular frieze fragment with advancing figure in profile wearing a shendyt kilt holding up two poles in his raised hands; to his rear, part of a second figure with an openwork wooden frame (footstool) and other items; mounted in sturdy wooden frame with suspension rings to the reverse; surface has been extensively cleaned, restored, and repainted.
ProvenanceMounted in an early 20th-century wooden frame bearing a stamped inscription reading “Exposition Paris …”
From the collection of L.V. (1950-1960), Paris, France.
Collection of Monsieur X. (1931-2017), dispersed for the benefit of the Monaco Red Cross.
Private collection, Europe.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.13224-249307.
Cf. similar scenes in the Tomb of Ukh-hotep son of Senbi at Meir in Blackman Aylward M. The rock tombs of Meir, Part 2, The tomb-chapel of Senbi's son Ukh-Hotp (B, no. 2), with two appendixes of hieroglyphs and other details in B, nos 1,2, 4., The Offices of the Egypt Exploration Fund, Cairo, 1953.
FootnotesThe servant is carrying geese, like in many other representations of the New Kingdom. Many portrayals of ducks and geese in ancient Egyptian art show the importance of the birds as food. Servants plucking geese are visible in the tomb of Nakht, in Luxor (1567-1320 B.C.), and in the famous tomb of Nebamun, at the British Museum, a fresco fragment shows workers standing in front of a gaggle of geese.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0054
Egyptian Limestone Fresco with Servant Carrying Geese
Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,100
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Egyptian Gold Necklace with Harpocrates Pendant
Roman Period, 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £7,500
Gold chain of double-looped links terminating in corrugated end elements, with hook-and-eye clasp; suspension ring embellished with applied granulation and a ribbed loop; hollow-formed sheet-gold pendant in the round depicting Harpocrates seated, his right forefinger raised to his mouth, wearing a finely detailed nemes headdress surmounted by a complex hemhem, crown incorporating multiple hedjet elements, flanking uraei, and ram's horns. 49.80 grams, 40.5 cm
Ex Elie Boustros collection, Lebanon. Private collection, acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s; thence by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13203-249297.
The fully three-dimensional modelling of the pendant aligns it with a group of high-quality Roman-period Egyptian goldwork characterised by pronounced plasticity and sculptural ambition. A pertinent comparison may be drawn with the gold diadem depicting Serapis from the Dush Treasure, discovered concealed within the wall of a Roman fort in the Baris Oasis (Reddé, M., Douch IV. Le trésor de Douch, DFIFAO 28, Cairo, 1992). That assemblage, plausibly associated with a nearby temple of Serapis and Isis, demonstrates a similarly bold treatment of divine imagery in precious metal. Comparable small-scale representations of Harpocrates in gold - often amuletic in function - are known from Roman Egypt, though examples combining such intricate crown iconography with fully rounded modelling remain relatively rare. The present piece therefore occupies an interesting position between personal adornment and cultic or apotropaic object, reflecting both Alexandrian iconographic synthesis and provincial workshop virtuosity. Harpocrates is the Greek version of the Egyptian Hor-pa-khered, which means ‘Horus the Child’. This name refers to Horus as the divine infant of Isis and Osiris. Wearing an amulet of Harpocrates was believed to provide the same protection that Isis offered to her beloved son. -
Egyptian Heart Scarab Group
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Comprising two scarabs with striated wing cases and ribbed underside. 7.5 grams total, 18-20 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
The scarab amulet was a powerful symbol of rebirth, transformation, and protection in ancient Egypt. Modelled after the beetle linked to the sun god Khepri, it represented the cycle of life and regeneration. Used from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2050 BCE) onwards, scarabs served as funerary amulets, personal charms, and seals—often inscribed with prayers or names—reflecting both spiritual beliefs and daily life. -
Egyptian Glass Bead Necklace with Large Sekhmet Faience Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
Restrung group of polyhedral and tubular beads in fusiform, biconvex, tubular and other types; triangular dangles and pendant of cat-headed Sekhmet. 26 grams, 44 cm, amulet: 50 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
