LOT 0460

Egyptian Polychrome Wood Sokar Falcon

LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.

2 3/4 in. (16 grams, 71 mm).

Statuette depicting the couchant falcon god Sokar with wings folded along the sides of the body; chest, wings, and legs with painted details; inked legend on the underside reading 'Ex George Wathen / 1893 / 12'. [No Reserve]

Ex George Henry Wathen collection from 1843, who wrote and illustrated the important work 'The Arts, Antiquity and Chronology of Ancient Egypt'.
From the collection of David Donlan (1947–2025), a dedicated and lifelong collector with a passion for the ancient world and the natural sciences, forming his collection from 1960s onwards, using many reputable dealers across the United Kingdom, including the well-regarded Coincraft and The Parthenon Gallery.

Cf. Aston, D., “Canopic Chests from the Twenty–First to the Ptolemaic Period,” Ägypten und Levante 10, 2000, pp.159-178, for numerous examples of falcon-topped canopic boxes.

Wooden images of the raptor-form god Sokar typically decorated the tops of rectangular wooden coffins and canopic chests, which held jars containing the deceased’s mummified organs. Sokar was a protective god of the Memphite necropolis and was often merged with the funerary god Osiris and Ptah, the creator deity of Memphis.
George Henry Wathen, FGS (21 November 1816 – 10 November 1879) was a geologist, author, magazine publisher, and South African politician of the Victorian era known primarily for his books on the antiquities of Egypt and the gold fields of Victoria, Australia.
The Ba bird in ancient Egyptian belief represents a vital aspect of the soul, often depicted as a bird with a human head. It symbolises a person's unique essence and individuality, capable of travelling between the realms of the living and the dead, ensuring the soul's completeness and harmony for eternity.