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_900x900.jpg "Egyptian Steatite Bust in a Gold Pendant")
_200x200.jpg "Egyptian Steatite Bust in a Gold Pendant")
.jpg "Egyptian Steatite Bust in a Gold Pendant")
LOT 0012
Egyptian Steatite Bust in a Gold Pendant
PTOLEMAIC-ROMAN PERIOD, 2ND CENTURY B.C.-2ND CENTURY A.D.
1 1/2 in. (8.75 grams, 38 mm).
Fragment of a carved panel or vessel depicting a female bust, possibly a queen or Isis, modelled in half-round relief, wearing a loosely draped tunic, a tiered wesekh collar, and a heavy curled, tripartite wig; reverse with lotus flower ropework and other ornamentation; mounted in a later gold suspension frame.
ProvenancePrivate collection, Southern France, 1970s.
Acquired on the English art market.
Cf. Walker, S., Higgs, P. (eds.), Cleopatra of Egypt from History to Myth, London, 2001, pp. 76-77, no. 56, for the stela depiction of Queen Arsinoe III wearing a similar garment; pp.160-161, no.160, for a statue of Cleopatra VII wearing a tripartite wig with similarly tight curls.
FootnotesThis fragment likely originates from an elaborately decorated bowl belonging to a specific group thought to have been made in Alexandria (cf. Page-Gasser, M., Wiese, A.B., Ägypten: Augenblicke der Ewigkeit, Mainz, 1997, for a complete example). The purpose of these bowls is unclear, but they may have been used as votive offerings in sanctuaries.
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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