Loading, please wait...
Details
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.
Provenance
Private 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.
Literature
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.
Footnotes
Considering 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.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0037
Egyptian Painted Limestone Mummiform Sekhmet Statuette
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,000
RELATED LOTS
-
Egypto-Phoenician Haematite Scaraboid Seal
Circa 5th century B.C.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
With rampant lion and statant winged gryphon. 8.35 grams, 21 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.3095.WW. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12715-234628. -
Egyptian Cartonnage Panel with Pectoral
Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, circa 664-30 B.C.Estimate: £1,800 - 2,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £900
A rectangular cartonnage panel with bands of triangles, teardrops and other motifs in white, red, blue and pale green; winged scarab to the bottom, lower portion of a winged sun disc flanked by uraei to the top; mounted on a custom-made stand. 2.06 kg total, 31.4 cm wide including stand
Ex early 20th century collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13096-249409
This piece was probably part of a set of cartonnage trappings placed on the mummy. -
Egyptian Bronze Ibis Attachment
Late Period, 664-332 B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £156
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.
