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LOT 0592
Very Large Egyptian Expedition Lithograph of a Plan of Thebes
EARLY 19TH CENTURY A.D.
40 3/8 x 27 1/8 in. (532 grams, 102.5 x 69 cm).
Proof etching on laid paper of plate 77 from Description de l'Égypte : ou, Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française. entitled Thèbes. Bybân el-Molouk [Bîbân al-Mulûk]. Plan topographique de l'extrémité de la Vallée des Tombeaux des Rois.
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a North American priest.
Acquired between 1981-1996.
Property of a North American collector.
Produced between February 1802 and 1830 on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte; published between 1809 and 1828. Just 1,000 copies were distributed to various institutions, printed on laid paper with an 'Égypte ancienne et moderne' watermark. The book is subtitled Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l’expédition de l’Armée française, publié par les ordres de Sa Majesté l’Empereur Napoléon le Grand (Gathering of observations and discoveries which were made in Egypt during the expedition of the French army, published on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon the Great). It was the world's first encyclopedia devoted exclusively to the remains of ancient Egypt. The plates of this book are the first to present the archaeological sites of Thebes (Luxor).
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0592
Very Large Egyptian Expedition Lithograph of a Plan of Thebes
Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
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Egyptian Hardstone Scarab
26th-30th Dynasty, 664-343 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,120
Carved in the half-round with detailed mouth, legs and carapace. 70.2 grams, 49 mm
with Galerie Gunter Phuze, Kunst der Antike, Freiburg, 2000, no.352. Ex George Broomis. Private collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12936-245209.
Scarabs were among the most popular amulets of ancient Egypt. Modelled on the dung beetle, they symbolised rebirth, transformation, and the daily journey of the sun god across the sky. From the Middle Kingdom onwards, they were widely used as personal seals, jewellery, and offerings in tombs. The flat underside was often carved with names, prayers, or symbols, while the beetle form on top carried protective power. Scarabs were believed to safeguard the wearer in life and assist the dead in the afterlife, making them both practical objects and deeply spiritual charms. -
Large Egyptian Faience Eye of Horus Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £150
Wedjat amuletic bead with applied black detailing to the pupil and brow. 16.5 grams, 50.4 mm
with Archaeologia, Switzerland, before 1983. Ex private North American collection. London private collection, 2016. -
Egyptian Steatite Portrait of a Ptolemaic Prince
2nd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,350
With a round face, large eyes, a narrow nose that broadens at the end, and full lips downturned at the corners; the forehead with a distinctive deep furrow above the brow; a narrow, twisted diadem encircling his wavy hair; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 84 grams total, 10 cm including stand
Private collection, Bern, Switzerland. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12631-236408.
The Greek hairstyle is a characteristic feature of Ptolemaic royal portraiture, as is the twisted diadem - a Greek interpretation of the Egyptian headband (the sšd) - which appears on several portrait heads of Ptolemaic boy-kings and princes. The distinctive furrow is intriguing, as it contrasts with the typically blemish-free physiognomy of most Ptolemaic royal sculpture. However, a similar furrow can be seen on the portrait head of a provincial governor from Dendera, dated to the 2nd century B.C. (Bothmer, B.V., Egyptian Sculpture of the Late Period 700 B.C. to A.D. 100, New York, 1960, pp. 144-143, pl. 112, nos. 301-302), which may indicate an artistic trend employed in high-status sculpture at that time. It has been suggested that small royal portrait heads, such as this example, may have served as votives. The lack of an Egyptian-style back pillar on this and similar pieces supports the possibility that they were inserted into statues made of different materials (Ashton, S.-A., Ptolemaic Royal Sculpture from Egypt, BAR International Series 923, Oxford, 2001, p.12).
