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LOT 0010
Egyptian Stone Stela with Pharaoh, Isis, Horus and Thoth
PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 3RD-2ND CENTURY B.C.
21 5/8 in. (19.45 kg total, 55 cm including stand).
Round-topped stela with decoration on two registers; the lunette, featuring a winged sun disc with pendant uraei; the main panel with a frieze in sunk relief depicting the pharaoh wearing the double crown, facing left offering the hieroglyphic symbol for 'fields'; a goddess stands behind him, possibly Isis, wearing a tight-fitting robe and sporting a tall two-plumed headdress, with one hand raised in praise; facing the pharaoh is the falcon-headed god, possibly Horus or Her-wer, wearing a double-crown, and behind him stands the ibis-headed Thoth wearing the Atef crown, both gods hold a was-sceptre; repaired, mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceAcquired in the mid-1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
Accompanied by an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12200-222172.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Cf. Bosticco, S., Museo archaeologico di Firenze: le stele egiziane di epoca tarda Rome, 1972, no. 58, for an arch-topped stela depicting the pharaoh offering the 'field' symbol to the gods Her-wer and Sobek.
FootnotesThe overall tripartite composition is comparable to numerous stelae of the Ptolemaic Period and can be dated to the 3rd-2nd century B.C. The decorative lunette and/or sky bands and bold sunk relief winged sun disc are characteristic of this period, as is the fringed detailing of the female’s garment. The offering of the ‘field’ symbol is also a frequent depiction of the stelae of this period, which can be understood as a ‘catch-all’ device representing an offering of all the produce from the fields. Such stelae were often produced as stock products to which clients would have their names and other details added. Therefore, the stela is likely an example of one awaiting purchase. After the purchase, the hieroglyphic labels would be added to the figurative tableau, and a dedicatory text would be carved into the plain rectangle in the lower part. Sometimes, however, it appears that a purchaser could not afford the additional expense of a professionally engraved inscription, and so would scratch a short dedication in the lower panel as seen, for example, in the stela for Horudja from the Delta site of Tanis and now in the Musée du Louvre (inv. no. AF 11682).
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0010
Egyptian Stone Stela with Pharaoh, Isis, Horus and Thoth
Sold for (Inc. bp): £16,900
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Egyptian Terracotta Ithyphallic Figurine of Harpocrates
Ptolemaic Period, 3rd-2nd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Naked ithyphallic youthful Harpocrates seated, with shaved head and side-lock, his enormous phallus wrapped around on his neck. 160 grams, 84 mm
The Erotica Collection Christian von Faber-Castell, Küsnacgt ZH, Switzerland, since the late 1970s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Ithyphallic figures in limestone, terracotta, gypsum and faience are relatively common in the 6th to 3rd-century B.C. deposits of Lower Egypt. Despite considerable variations, the group consistently depicts a seated ithyphallic plump baby with shaved head (or skull cap) and side-lock. They were identified by Gutch as Khonsu-Horus figures and subsequently by Bailey as Harpocrates, the Greek name for young Horus. Christian von Faber-Castell (born 1950) is a renowned German entrepreneur and art collector, best known as a member of the prominent Faber-Castell family, famed for their iconic writing instruments. A passionate advocate for art and culture, Christian von Faber-Castell curated an extensive and diverse private collection of erotica, spanning centuries and cultures. His collection reflects a deep appreciation for the interplay of beauty, sensuality, and artistic expression, bringing together rare and unique works that explore themes of intimacy and human connection. Pieces from this collection have been featured in notable exhibitions and are celebrated for their artistic and historical significance. This offering represents a rare opportunity to acquire works from one of the most fascinating and eclectic private collections of its kind. -
Egyptian Black Hardstone Scarab
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Dark green hardstone with paler speckles; with a boldly carved head, clypeus, prothorax and elytra, and legs indicated at the sides; plain underside. 17 grams, 29 mm
Ex Irene Newman, Birdham, Chichester, West Sussex, England. with Stride & Son Auctioneers, Chichester, West Sussex, England, 23 April 2015, no.1599 [Part]. Acquired by the present owner at the above sale. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
The scarab, which represented the dung beetle, was the most popular amulet in ancient Egypt for approximately two thousand years until the Ptolemaic Period when it gradually fell out of favour. The popularity of scarabs extended beyond the borders of Egypt, and they were also distributed and produced in other regions, such as Phoenicia and Israel. The beetle is named khepri, derived from the verb 'to come into existence', and was considered the embodiment of the creator god Khepri, who was self-engendered. The ancient Egyptians mistakenly believed that the young beetle emerging from the dung ball was the result of an act of self-creation. -
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Egyptian Limestone Relief with the Figure of the God Hapi
Late-Ptolemaic Period, circa 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,640
A relief depicting the upper half of the Nile divinity facing right, sporting a slender beard with curved end, wearing a tripartite wig surmounted by a floral crown in the form of a clump of papyrus with bent buds, and an elaborate multi-strand beaded broad collar; the pendulous breast characteristic of this type of figure; with both upper arms angled right towards traces of a libation vase and possible stem of a lotus flower; traces of a vertical register line behind the figure’s head; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 10.85 kg total, 38.5 cm high including stand
From the estate of the late designer Anthony Powell (1935-2021). This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12497-230640. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Representations of fecundity figures can be traced from the Old Kingdom through to the Roman Period. These figures serve as divine embodiments of Egypt’s fertile productivity and are commonly depicted in series on the lower registers of temple walls, symbolising the fertility of each province. Historically, they have often been mistakenly referred to as the ‘Nile God’; however, the term Hapi, which sometimes identifies these figures, actually refers to the inundation rather than the River Nile itself, highlighting the source of Egypt’s fertility.
