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_900x900.jpg "Very Large Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish of Per-Medjed with Hieroglyphic Inscription")
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LOT 0055
Very Large Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish of Per-Medjed with Hieroglyphic Inscription
LATE-PTOLEMAIC PERIOD, 664-30 B.C.
6 3/4 in. (585 grams, 17 cm).
Modelled in the round on a sledge attached by ventral and pectoral fins, a forked tail, a dorsal ridge, and a tapering nose, featuring recessed circular eyes filled with enamel, a horned sun disc headdress fronted by a uraeus, and a suspension loop behind; a few hieroglyphs of a dedication remain visible on the underside of the sledge, which may be interpreted as ‘….the great give life (to)…’ (…t wr rdi͗ Ꜥnḫ t….); presumably, 'the great' followed the name of a deity, now lost.
ProvenanceAcquired from Gallery Reiner, Paris, France, 1981.
Private collection, Europe.
Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.150583 dated 29 November 2013.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12375-226676.
Cf. Kozloff, A.P., Animals in Ancient Art from the Leo Mildenberg Collection, Mainz am Rhein, 1981, fig. 60, for a similar example; Tiribilli, E., The bronze figurines of the Petrie Museum from 2000 BC to AD 400, London, 2018, p.229, for discussion.
FootnotesThe Medjed, a type of elephant-snout fish (Mormyrus kannume), was revered in ancient Egyptian religion, particularly in Per-Medjed, better known by its Greek name, Oxyrhynchus Polis. This version of the name, meaning "city of the sharp-nosed," reflects the fish's distinctive appearance as depicted in Egyptian art. These fish were believed to have consumed the penis of Osiris, the god who was dismembered and scattered by his brother Seth. As sacred creatures, figurines of the Medjed were often adorned with a horned sun-disc headdress worn by the goddesses Hathor and Isis, suggesting a close association with both. Some figurines, like this example, featured suspension loops, allowing them to be worn as pendant amulets.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0055
Very Large Egyptian Bronze Oxyrhynchus Fish of Per-Medjed with Hieroglyphic Inscription
Estimate £4,500 - 6,500€5,220 - 7,540 (for guidance only)$6,080 - 8,780 (for guidance only)
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Historic Collection of 859 Slides of Archaeological Sites and Artefacts From Egypt
1960s-1980s A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
Housed in five linen-covered boxes, covering tombs, wall paintings, Tutankhamun, Giza, El Kab, Menkaure, Roash, Merysankh, Medinet Habu, Abusir, Ramesses III Temple, Seti I Chapel etc. 4.34 kg total, 26.5 x 16.5 x 6.5 cm each box
Property of archaeologist Stephanie Gee, N.W. London, UK, 1960s-1980s.
Stephanie Gee was a prominent archaeologist who took part in several expeditions in Egypt. She was a trusted assistant to the British-Australian archaeologist Veronica Seton-Williams, who excavated in Egypt, Britain, and the Near East. Stephanie also took part in the Tell El-Farâ'în expeditions of 1965-1968, and assisted Seton-Williams with preparing the 1966 expedition report. Their collaboration continued and Stephanie helped with the manuscript of Seton-Williams’ book ‘The Road to El-Aguzein’, a narrative account of her life that was first published in 1988. -
Egyptian Bronze Socketted Spearhead
New Kingdom, 15th-14th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
Foliate blade and tapering, short tubular shaft, marked mid-rib and rounded shoulders. 204 grams, 28 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
With the introduction of the socketted spearhead in the Middle East in the second half of the 3rd millennium BC, by the middle of the 2nd millennium, socketted spearheads became dominant throughout the ancient East and Egypt, and spearhead design has remained virtually unchanged since then. -
Egyptian Multi-Stranded Mummy Bead Necklace
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Four-stranded designer necklace composed of polychrome beads of mainly disc and cylindrical types. 25.5 grams, 65 cm
Acquired before 1979. From the private collection of Mr F.A., South Kensington, London, UK; thence by descent 2014.
For thousands of years, artisans in Egypt created vibrant ceramics to echo the beauty of rare jewels. These ornaments were created with almost every material, colour, and texture imaginable, and they come from across Egypt and beyond: vibrant blue lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, glossy black obsidian from Turkey, and aqua-green turquoise from the Sinai. They were worn in life and, after death, they served as precious ornamentation for mummies.
