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LOT 0445
Egyptian Miniature Stone Alabastron
LATE OLD KINGDOM, CIRCA 2300 B.C.
1 7/8 in. (2 1/8 in.) (34.2 grams, 48 mm high (48.9 grams, 55 mm including stand)).
The body with rounded shoulders, convex outer face and pointed base, everted rim; accompanied by a custom-made display base.
ProvenanceAcquired in Europe before 1994.
European collection.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Cf. Guidotti, M.C., Vasi dall’epoca protodinastica al Nuovo Regno, Museo Egizio di Firenze, Rome, 1991, p.99, no.68, for similar vessel.
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 Terracotta Ithyphallic Figurine of Harpocrates
Ptolemaic Period, 3rd-2nd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Naked ithyphallic youthful Harpocrates seated, with shaved head and side-lock, his enormous phallus wrapped around on his neck. 160 grams, 84 mm
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.
Ithyphallic figures in limestone, terracotta, gypsum and faience are relatively common in the 6th to 3rd-century B.C. deposits of Lower Egypt. Despite considerable variations, the group consistently depicts a seated ithyphallic plump baby with shaved head (or skull cap) and side-lock. They were identified by Gutch as Khonsu-Horus figures and subsequently by Bailey as Harpocrates, the Greek name for young Horus. 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. -
Egyptian Terracotta of a Concubine
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, circa 1976-1793 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,235
D-shaped in section with tongue-shaped base, slender, long-limbed female figure modelled in the half-round with tightly curled, shoulder length hair, the chest and abdomen with linear and dotted decoration. 69 grams, 14.6 cm
From an old English deceased estate. Property of a London, UK, collector. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. -
Coptic Terracotta Clay Mould
6th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Discoid receptacle with a military saint in Roman armour (Saint Menas), with muscular cuirass and pteryges, arms open in the manner of the orans pose, animals (camels?) on his side. 198 grams, 89 mm
Maurice Bouvier, Alexandrie, prior 1959. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
The majority of the terracotta ampullae come from Egypt and bear representations of St. Menas or Mennas, an Egyptian Christian officer decapitated during the persecutions of Diocletian's time. The legend relates that the saint's body was placed upon a camel which was let loose to follow what course it chose; in the place where the camel stopped, some miles from Alexandria, a grave and a shrine were subsequently built. In allusion to this legend, St. Menas is often represented as standing between two camels, though the animals are often of so fantastic a form as to be very difficult to recognise.