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LOT 0482
Large Egyptian Gilt Bronze Head of Osiris
LATE PERIOD, 664-525 B.C.
4 1/2 in. (199 grams, 11.4 cm).
Modelled in the round wearing the atef crown (hedjet with lateral ostrich feathers) and uraeus to the brow with tail extending up the crown, detailed false beard with coiled finial; eyes recessed to accept inlays; tip of crown missing.
ProvenanceAcquired on the German art market, 1989-1995.
with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003.
Property of a London based academic, 2003-present.
Cf. Daressy, G., Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire N° 38001-39384 Statues de divinités, Cairo, 1906, pl. XVI, no. 38.261, for complete statuette with comparable head.
FootnotesOsiris is a deity who represents death and fertility and is commonly regarded as the quintessential god of rebirth. Though he was once a mortal ruler, as a deceased entity, his domain was the Underworld. Abydos was the primary centre of Osiris’ cult, where a renowned yearly celebration of the god was held. This head comes from a once sizeable statuette of the god.
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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Egyptian Hardstone Scarab with Bes
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Plano-convex in section with detailed obverse, the underside with the figure of Bes flanked by adoring baboons and sun disks. 10.7 grams, 31 mm
Ex London, UK collection, 1990s.
Bes became one of ancient Egypt's most popular apotropaic deities from the New Kingdom onwards. Despite his somewhat fearful appearance, Bes was the patron and protector of pregnant women and children and believed to protect the wearer from snakes. The depiction of baboons flanking Bes with their arms raised before the sun disk was a common feature on temple wall reliefs. In ancient Egyptian religious literature, baboons heralded the dawn and, thus, the rebirth of the sun. -
Egyptian Silver Isis Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
Isis enthroned wearing a cow's horn headdress with a solar disc, suckling the infant Horus on her lap; loop to rear of crown; mounted on a custom-made stand. 6.2 grams, 39 mm (20.7 grams total, 62 mm including stand)
Ex Mythes & Legend. Ex Cohen collection 2011. Property of a French collector.
In ancient Egyptian mythology, Isis was the sister-wife of Osiris and the mother of the sky god Horus. She is associated with aspects of fertility and motherhood and is often depicted in various artworks seated in a nursing pose with her son Horus on her lap, as here. -
Egyptian Faience Bead Necklace with Winged Scarab Motif
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Composed of annular beads in several colours, restrung and with a modern catch. 12.4 grams, 50 cm long
Property of a late lady collector, acquired 1940-1990s.
Winged scarabs were often used as funerary amulets and were believed to symbolise the rebirth and regeneration of the deceased.
