Egyptian Painted Wooden Uraeus Sacred Cobra Finial

In ibis-headed form, plain dorsal pillar, pleated kilt, tripartite wig; old collector's inked accession number 'E.1000' to the reverse; repaired. 44.7 grams, 88 mm high



Ex Roger Liechti collection, Geneva, Switzerland. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11595-199013.

One of the most prominent of the ancient Egyptian gods, Thoth was associated with writing, magic and wisdom, and was credited with founding a number of branches of knowledge including law, religion and science. He is believed to have been self-created or grown from the seed of Horus from the forehead of Set. As the son of the gods of order and chaos, he was also the god of equilibrium. As such, he was considered a just and infallible judge. Worshipped from the Pre-Dynastic to the Ptolemaic periods, Thoth was one of the longest, continuously worshipped gods from any civilisation. Thoth's Egyptian name was Djehuty (also dhwty) meaning ‘He Who is Like the Ibis’, a sacred bird in ancient Egypt as well as a popular pet associated with wisdom.

Comprising various items with remains of polychrome pigment, including a sun disk; an arm from a diorama; a wing of Isis; two scarab wings and others. 47 grams total, 3.6-18.5 cm



UK private collection. Acquired from Den of Antiquity, Cambridgeshire, UK, 2010. Property of a Nottinghamshire gentleman.

With detailed legs and mouth, two cartouches to the underside with hieroglyphic texts. 7.64 grams, 25 mm



Ex North London, UK, gentleman, 1990s.