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LOT 0069
Large Egyptian Wooden Figure of a Man
OLD KINGDOM, 5TH-6TH DYNASTY, 2450-2182 B.C.
22 in. (1.46 kg total, 55.7 cm high including stand).
Of slender form, shown striding and wearing a kilt with a central tab, and a rounded wig covering the ears, composed of echeloned rectangular curls; the face with a broad mouth with finely outlined lips, rounded at the corners; the front of the kilt and portion of the advancing left leg preserved; the arms and the lower right leg missing, having been carved separately; with traces of polychrome.
ProvenanceJoseph Altounian (1889-1954) and Henriette Lorbet, Altounian-Lorbet Gallery, Mâcon, France.
Believed acquired at Sotheby’s, London: The MacGregor Collection of Egyptian Antiquities, 26 June–3 July 1922.
Acquired by the previous owner from Henriette Lorbet, January 4th, 1967.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.13232-250113.
Cf. Saleh, M, Sourouzian, H., The Egyptian Museum, Cairo: official catalogue, Mainz, 1987, no. 42, for the upper half of a similarly slim-waisted figure with a rounded wig and expressive features; Ziegler, C., Les statues égyptiennes de l'Ancien Empire, Paris, 1997, pp. 183-184, no. 51, for a near-complete example of a similar figure.
FootnotesThe statue stands as another admirable example of wooden sculpture from the early dynasties. Its highly realistic face depicts a young man, mirrored by the slender body, with a sober and elegant design. The statue was undoubtedly originally coated in stucco and colour. The striking figure, slightly asymmetrical, along with the serious mouth and haughty expression, gives this portrait a remarkably lively appearance.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0069
Large Egyptian Wooden Figure of a Man
Estimate £40,000 - 60,000€46,400 - 69,600 (for guidance only)$54,000 - 81,000 (for guidance only)
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Egyptian Faience Amulet and Scarab Group
Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, circa 664-30 B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £270
Comprising: a Bes head amulet, a frog amulet, a wedjat-eye, a scaraboid plaque, and two scarabs. 19.8 grams total, 15-29 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Phoenician Glass Bead Collection
6th-3rd century B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £910
Comprising a group of crumb-decorated polychrome oblate beads and a centrepiece pendant formed as a stylised bearded head. 179 grams total, 12-42 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
The Phoenicians, renowned seafarers and traders, were also skilled glassworkers. They produced a wide variety of glass beads using core-forming and winding techniques, with vivid colours and elaborate designs that reflect both technical mastery and cross-cultural influence. Among the most iconic Phoenician beads are glass 'head' beads, crafted in the form of stylised human or mythological faces. Typically, they feature exaggerated facial details like bulging eyes, large noses, beards, and headdresses, often with expressive or comic features. They were possibly worn as amulets to ward off evil or attract protection, though they may also represent deities, ancestors, or foreigners. These beads often incorporate Egyptian, Greek, and Near Eastern stylistic elements, reflecting the Phoenicians’ extensive trade networks. -
Phoenician Stone Scaraboid with Man Working in a Field
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Domed body with incised detailing, underside showing a man tending his land. 3.21 grams, 15 mm
From a late Warwickshire numismatic collector, his collection formed from the early 1980s.
