Loading, please wait...
_900x900.jpg "Egyptian Wooden Mummy Mask")
_200x200.jpg "Egyptian Wooden Mummy Mask")
.jpg "Egyptian Wooden Mummy Mask")
LOT 0039
Egyptian Wooden Mummy Mask
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
15 1/4 in. (4.85 kg total, 38.8 cm high including stand).
Columnar in form with carved facial detailing, thick block of hair, full lips; pierced to reverse for attachment.
ProvenanceEnglish private collection, formed in the early 20th century.
Acquired on the English art market.
Cf. Dawson, J., Strudwick, H. (eds.), Death on the Nile: Uncovering the Afterlife of Ancient Egypt, London, 2016, p. 115, fig. 84, for a similar anthropoid coffin face with a similar dark finish in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Egyptian Silver Poppy Amulet and Beads
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Comprising: a fusiform bead, a poppy-head amulet and a jar amulet. 2.80 grams total, 11-16 mm
From the collection of a London, UK, gentleman, 1990s. -
Egyptian Bronze Ibis Attachment
Late Period, 664-332 B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £156
Modelled in the round squatting on an ellipsoid base, lug to the underside, repaired. 114 grams, 60 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
The ibis, particularly the sacred species known as the Egyptian ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus), held a prominent place in ancient Egyptian religion and culture as a manifestation of the god Thoth. Revered as the deity of wisdom, writing, and knowledge, Thoth was often depicted in human form with the head of an ibis. During the Late Period onwards, the practice of mummifying ibises became widespread, leading to the creation of vast necropolises dedicated to these sacred birds. In places like Saqqara and Hermopolis, thousands of ibis mummies have been discovered in specially constructed catacombs. The mummification of these birds was not merely a ritual act; it was seen as a sacred offering to Thoth, meant to honour the god and seek his favour. Egyptians believed that by preserving the ibis through mummification, they could ensure its safe passage to the afterlife, establishing a direct connection between the earthly realm and the divine. These mummies were often accompanied by votive offerings, like this bronze figurine, further emphasising the relationship between the ibises and Thoth. -
Egyptian Faience Mummy Bead Mask with Scarab and Four Sons of Horus
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
A restrung netted beadwork panel of annular and tubular glazed composition beads in blues, greens, black, cream and red-brown colours, depicting a mummy face mask with false beard, a scarab with extended wings below, the 'Four Sons of Horus’ beneath the scarab, joined together with areas of open netting of tubular beads. 100 grams, 24 cm
Ex North London, UK, gallery. Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.
The Four Sons of Horus were deities responsible for protecting the deceased's internal organs. The human-headed Imsety protected the liver, the baboon-headed Hapy protected the lungs, the jackal-headed Duamutef protected the stomach, and the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef protected the intestines.
