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LOT 0037
Egyptian Painted Limestone Mummiform Sekhmet Statuette
CIRCA 7TH-6TH CENTURY B.C.
3 in. (29 grams total, 77 mm including stand).
Carved in the round depiction of Bastet or Sekhmet in a lion-headed form with a tripartite headdress, with front lappets overlain by the leonine mane; between the ears, a hole possibly for the insertion of a separate sun disc element; red pigment lines and fringe to the shoulders; a black diamond pattern with central red dots decorating the back, and a winged scarab in black on the abdomen; marked on the underside with the collector's reference 'BAOP SAKKARA'; mounted on a custom-made display stand.
ProvenancePrivate collection of George Anastase Michaelides (1900-1973) and legally exported from Egypt in the 1940s.
Black ink inscription on base "BAOP SAKKARA".
Christie's, London, 29 October 2003, no.167.
Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Christie's catalogue pages.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13101-248076.
Cf. Daressy, G., Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire N° 38001-39384 Statues de divinités, Cairo, 1906, p. 153 (inv. no. 38586), pl. XXXII, for a similar statuette in faience.
FootnotesConsidering the specified Saqqara provenance, it is probable that the statuette originated from the Bubastaeion, dedicated to Bastet. The goddess was more commonly depicted as a cat or a human with a cat's head, although she also sometimes displayed a leonine aspect. It is also possible that the statuette represents her son, Mahes, who was depicted as a man with a lion's head.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0037
Egyptian Painted Limestone Mummiform Sekhmet Statuette
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,000
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Egyptian Pale Green Glazed Faience Shabti Fragment with Hieroglyphs
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £364
Head and torso of a mummiform figure, wearing a tripartite wig and divine beard, with arms crossed and hands holding agricultural implements and a cord for a seed bag over the left shoulder, three horizontal bands of hieroglyphic inscriptions to the lower body; mounted on a wooden display stand. 86 grams, 12.5 cm including stand
From a Scottish gentleman’s collection, Glasgow, formed from the early 2000s.
The owner's name is poorly preserved, although the filiation that follows may read: "...born (to) Djed-mut-ies-ankh" (ms ḏd mwt ı͗w s Ꜥnḫ). -
Egyptian Alabaster Baboon with Dedication to Queen Tiye
New Kingdom, 1184-1152 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,120
Carved alabaster figure of a baboon, crouching with his forepaws resting on his knees, tail curled around from the rear; cartouche dedicated to Queen Tiye at the chest as a later addition. 1.06 kg, 15.4 cm
From the private collection of Dr Athanasios Ghertsos, Zurich, by at least 1970. Private collection of Hermann A. Schlögl (1932-2023), Basel. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S00261724. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13073-248325.
In ancient Egypt, baboons were sacred, representing wisdom, the moon, and the underworld, linked to gods like Thoth and Babi, often depicted greeting the sun or guarding tombs, and were imported, mummified as offerings, and used as powerful religious symbols despite their often harsh captive conditions. The aforementioned Tiye is the wife of Sethnakht, the founder of the 20th Dynasty, and not to be confused with the wife of Amenhotep III. All monuments bearing her name originate from Abydos, where her son Ramesses III built a temple for his parents. -
Egyptian Clay Papyrus Document Sealing with Bust of Tiberius
Roman Period, early 1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Discoid in plan with impressed seal, profile bust of Tiberius (14-37 A.D.) placed to one side. 3.78 grams, 25 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
