Egyptian Turquoise Blue Faience Shabti with Hieroglyphic Inscription

Carved alabaster figure of a baboon, crouching with his forepaws resting on his knees, tail curled around from the rear; cartouche dedicated to Queen Tiye at the chest as a later addition. 1.06 kg, 15.4 cm



From the private collection of Dr Athanasios Ghertsos, Zurich, by at least 1970. Private collection of Hermann A. Schlögl (1932-2023), Basel. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S00261724. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13073-248325.

In ancient Egypt, baboons were sacred, representing wisdom, the moon, and the underworld, linked to gods like Thoth and Babi, often depicted greeting the sun or guarding tombs, and were imported, mummified as offerings, and used as powerful religious symbols despite their often harsh captive conditions. The aforementioned Tiye is the wife of Sethnakht, the founder of the 20th Dynasty, and not to be confused with the wife of Amenhotep III. All monuments bearing her name originate from Abydos, where her son Ramesses III built a temple for his parents.

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. 29 grams total, 77 mm including stand



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.

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.

Seated figure of the goddess, wearing a vulture headdress from which the bird’s head projects, topped by a crown consisting of a low modius of rearing cobras, surmounted by cow horns and a central sun disk; a tight-fitting three-quarter-length dress; shown suckling the naked infant Horus, with a uraeus at his brow; the goddess’s feet rest on a plinth, of which two sides are inscribed with a dedication, only partially preserved: (May) Isis give life (to) Wennenefer [......] Ankh-hor-(en)-sa (Ꜣst rdı͗ Ꜥnḫ wn n nfr [……] ꜥnḫ ḥr (n) sꜢ (?)). 875 grams, 22.1 cm including stand



From the estate of Alexander Dobkin (1908-1975), New York, USA, acquired prior to 1975. Thence by descent to his daughter, Katherine Dobkin, New York, USA.

Isis, one of the principal goddesses of the Egyptian pantheon, was revered as divine mother, protector of kingship, and mistress of magic. As the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus, she embodied maternal care, resurrection, and cosmic order, playing a central role in myths of death and renewal. Isis lactans statuettes emphasise this intimate maternal relationship and its protective and regenerative power; such bronzes were widely dedicated in temples and domestic shrines as votive objects invoking divine protection, healing, and royal legitimacy. The lacuna in the inscription on this example most likely supplied the filiation between the two named individuals.