Origin: Egypt Circa: 300 AD to 500 AD Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Style: Coptic Medium: Papyrus The term "Copt" originally referred to the native Egyptians, as  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 300 AD to 500 AD Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Style: Coptic Medium: Papyrus The term "Copt" originally referred to the native Egyptians, as opposed to the Greek or Arab invaders. While later "Copt" became a religious designation referring to Christian Egyptians, the Coptic period is defined as the first millennium of the Christian era, when Christianity thrived in Egypt. The style of Coptic art evolved from the late antique art of Egypt, retaining Greek and Roman influences. Economic conditions doubtless played a major role in the emergence of a freer, more popular style of art; the lack of an extensive patronage system is evident in many aspects of Coptic art, the emphasis on more personal, less monumental art, the avoidance of costly materials, and the dearth of skilled craftsmen with extensive training among them. The stylistic tendencies of Coptic art move away from a naturalistic rendering of the human form and features. Outline and detail are simplified, and the number of motifs is limited.As a written language, Coptic was derived mainly from the Greek alphabet with seven additional characters from Demotic (the common language of the Ancient Egyptians) to account for sounds in the language not present in Greek. Coptic codices and their contemporary counterparts written in Greek (which was the language of scholars and the elite classes in Alexandrian Egypt) represent some of the earliest sources of the Bible. A variety of regional dialects are recorded in the papyrus manuscripts that allow modern scholar to pinpoint the origins of certain texts. This astounding papyrus codex is written in the Coptic language. If translated, the text would likely refer to one of the books of the New Testament. - (PF.0336)   « Less

Origin: Sakhara, Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 6.5" (16.5cm) high x 1.75" (4.4cm) wide x 1.25" (3.2cm) depth Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic  More »

Origin: Sakhara, Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 6.5" (16.5cm) high x 1.75" (4.4cm) wide x 1.25" (3.2cm) depth Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience The figure is inscribed with a text of eight lines which translates as follows: 1) Illumine Osiris--Har, child of Hathor in the necropolis when he says: O Ushabti 2) this. Act in the form of Osiris--Har, child of Hathor in the necropolis. Do all the 3) work there in the necropolis. Then you will smite there as 4) a man at his affairs. Behold me, say 5) you. If one numbers at any time, cause to 6) grow the fields, to cause to fill the channels 7) to carry sand from the west to the east 8) and vice-versa. Behold me, say you. - (PF.0483)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1085 BC to 332 BC Dimensions: 10" (25.4cm) high Catalogue: V26 Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze This  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1085 BC to 332 BC Dimensions: 10" (25.4cm) high Catalogue: V26 Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze This seated bronze Osiris wears the "atef" crown of Upper Egypt and carries the crook and flail. These attributes in iconography attest to Osiris being the "lord of the west," and in the New Kingdom as judge of the dead along with Anubis at the "weighing of the heart." What is most significant about this bronze is its particularly large size, which is quite rare; along with the elegant modeling and commanding presence of the deity. - (PF.5349)   « Less

Origin: Egypt (Sinai) Circa: 1900 BC to 1100 BC Medium: Faience Necklace composed of nine strands of antique Egyptian faience beads dating from the Middle and New  More »

Origin: Egypt (Sinai) Circa: 1900 BC to 1100 BC Medium: Faience Necklace composed of nine strands of antique Egyptian faience beads dating from the Middle and New Kingdoms.Most Ancient Egyptian beads were made of faience, a glass-composite glaze which was introduced as early as the Pre-Dynastic period.According to Egyptologists, such beads were made on an axis, probably of thread, which would burn up during firing, leaving a hole. Disc, ring and tubular beads were made by coating the axis with the unfired body-paste, rolling the cylinder to an even diameter on a flat surface, and then scoring it with a knife into sections of the desired length. Other shapes, such as ball beads, were rolled between the hands and perforated while still wet with a stiff point such as a wire needle. The beads were then dried, coated with glaze (if the glaze had not already been mixed with the paste), and fired. The firing process often gave the beads a beautiful translucent quality. The majority of faience beads are blue or green in color, but black, red, yellow and white ones were also produced, especially in the New Egyptian Kingdom. - (FJ.2417)   « Less

Origin: Sinai, Egypt Circa: 720 BC to 30 BC Dimensions: 2.5" (6.4cm) high x .75" (1.9cm) wide Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium:  More »

Origin: Sinai, Egypt Circa: 720 BC to 30 BC Dimensions: 2.5" (6.4cm) high x .75" (1.9cm) wide Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze This bronze statuette represents a ram gingerly striding forward on a rectangular base. The ram is modeled with restraint with a sculptural emphasis placed on the stylized musculature of its body rather than an articulation of its fleece. Nevertheless, certain details such as its hooves, tail, horns, and muzzle are more naturally rendered and imbue the figure with a sobriety consistent with its depiction as a manifestation of the state god, Amun. That identification is confirmed by the sun disc fronted by a uraeus which serves as the ram’s headdress and sole insignia.The cult of the state god Amun rose to prominence during the course of the Egyptian New Kingdom in the late second millennium B.C. and continued to maintain its pre-eminent role into the Late Period. So, for example, the Kushite pharaohs of Dynasty XXV linked the Egyptian god Amun of Thebes with their own local deity of Napata worshipped deep in Nubia at Gebel Barkal. Later, in the fourth century B.C., Alexander the Great, in an effort to promote his divine claim, often chose to be depicted with the ram’s horns of Amun as his personal emblem. Our ram can, therefore, be dated to this late resurgence of the cult of Amun. And while, admittedly, there are few known parallels for our particular depiction, its style is consistent with that known for the depiction of other animals, such as the mongoose. A dating within the Late Period, therefore, seems assured for our example.- (Z.0038)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 650 BC to 30 BC Dimensions: 5.5" (14.0cm) high x 1.75" (4.4cm) wide Catalogue: V30 Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium:  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 650 BC to 30 BC Dimensions: 5.5" (14.0cm) high x 1.75" (4.4cm) wide Catalogue: V30 Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze The ancient Egyptians were conservative and traditional with regard to their design for depictions of cats. Most of the known representations in both two and three dimensions rely on a seated attitude, as here, in which the beloved feline sits on its hind legs with its erect fore legs drawn up close to the chest in order to create a compact body from which the head with its perked up ears emerges, attentive and focused. In these compositions, the tail of the cat is invariably wrapped around the proper right-hand side of the animal closely following the contour so that its tip ends at or about even with the claws of the right paw.Our example is unusual in that it still exhibits an original suspension loop on its back into which links of the original chain are likewise well preserved. Other examples of bronze cats are known which are provided with suspension loops and it was not uncommon for the ancient Egyptians to attach similar loops to other bronze statuettes, such as images of Osiris, which are, to a modern critic, of such a large size that they would have seemed cumbersome, if worn as pendants suspended from necklaces and the like.Because the pose of our cat is one that was so long-lived, it is difficult to determine with precision its exact chronological position. Nevertheless, there is general agreement that such cats gained in popularity during the course of the Late Period and continued to be created into the Ptolemaic Period. Consequently, one can suggest a dating for our cat in the period between about 650 and 30 BC.References:For cats in general, see J. Malek, The Cat in Ancient Egypt (London 1993), and particularly page 102, figure 66, and page 110, figure 86, for bronze depictions of cats which incorporate suspension loops into their design; see, also, G. Roeder, Ägyptische Bronzefiguren (Berlin 1956), plate 24, figure C, for a bronze Osiris provided with both a tang for insertion, presumably, into a base, as well as with a suspension loop.- (FZ.386)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 4.5" (11.4cm) high x 1.625" (4.1cm) wide Catalogue: V29 Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium:  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 4.5" (11.4cm) high x 1.625" (4.1cm) wide Catalogue: V29 Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze Ancient Egyptians venerated cats for their ability to keep down the rodent population the economically important grain fields along the Nile. They were kept as pets in the home and assisted hunters by retrieving their small birds like dogs do today. Because they were economically useful and believed to ensure many children for a family, cats were so revered that they were mummified and buried either with their owners or in specially designated cemeteries. The Egyptians even had a cat goddess, called Bast or Bastet, who was depicted with the body of a woman and the head of a cat.Clearly this cat was adored in its own time. Pierced ears, originally ornamented with earrings long vanished, attest to the cat’s favored status. A necklace has also been draped over its head not unlike a collar. Perhaps this bronze sculpture served as a memorial reminder of a deceased pet. Maybe the sculpture was buried along with the cat’s owner in place of the animal itself. While the original purpose of this delightful sculpture is lost to us today, we can still appreciate its remarkable naturalist beauty. The cat sits in a typical feline stance, resting on its hind legs, supporting its torso on two sinuous legs. The tail wraps around the side, combining with the two paws in front where the sculptor has delineated the actual toes of the feet. The artist has successfully transferred the adoration once relished upon this animal into bronze. - (FZ.387)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 700 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 8.125" (20.6cm) high x 4.25" (10.8cm) wide Catalogue: V29 Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium:  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 700 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 8.125" (20.6cm) high x 4.25" (10.8cm) wide Catalogue: V29 Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze This exceptionally large and well-preserved depiction of Osiris, god of the Hereafter, was hollow cast via the lost wax method and incrusted with a variety of secondary inlays. The god is depicted in his traditional, mummiform pose enveloped in a shroud from which his arms protrude. These are crossed at the wrists over his chest, with his hands holding a crook and flail respectively. These attributes suggest that the origins of Osiris lay in the agricultural and pastoral pursuits of the early ancient Egyptians who used the flail to thresh grain and the crook to shepherd their flocks. He wears the White Crown of Upper Egypt which is fronted by a uraeus, or sacred cobra. These serpents were believed not to have eye lids and were employed as eternal, vigilant protectors of gods and kings because the Egyptians believed that they never closed their eyes to sleep. Osiris is also shown wearing a false beard, generally identified as that of a goat because the ancient Egyptians, like the Greeks and Romans after them, believe that the goat was one of the most sexually prolific of animals. This characteristic enabled Osiris to know Isis posthumously, fathering their son, Horus. In like manner, that characteristic enabled the deceased, identified with Osiris, to be resurrected in the Hereafter on the model of human procreation.The use secondary inlays in this bronze, particularly striking in the eyes, but also prominent in the crook and flail and in the sun disc on the crown, deserve special mention. The ancient Egyptians believed that the minerals of the earth were imbued with special properties and that these properties could be conveyed to deities when their images were embellished with inlays. As a result of this conceit, this image of Osiris was anciently regarded as being minerally-charged with all of the natural resources of the earth. When entombed, all of these powers were brought to bear as well on his resurrection. The deceased, often identified with Osiris, would likewise benefit from such powers. It is on the basis of such Egyptian practices that Christian reliquaries and covers of books of the Gospels were similarly encrusted during the Middle Ages. The practice persists to this day among certain adherents of New Age philosophies.References:For a comparable, but somewhat smaller figure of Osiris, likewise incrusted with secondary inlays, see Werner Kaiser, Ägyptisches Museum Berlin (Berlin 1967), inventory number 839 on page 82.- (FZ.380)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 3 rd Century AD to 4 th Century AD Dimensions: 29.5" (74.9cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Romano-Egyptian Medium: Paint on Linen Origin: Egypt  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 3 rd Century AD to 4 th Century AD Dimensions: 29.5" (74.9cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Romano-Egyptian Medium: Paint on Linen Origin: Egypt Circa: 700 BC to 500 BC Dimensions: 8.125" (20.6cm) high x 4.25" (10.8cm) wide Catalogue: V29 Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze This exceptionally large and well-preserved depiction of Osiris, god of the Hereafter, was hollow cast via the lost wax method and incrusted with a variety of secondary inlays. The god is depicted in his traditional, mummiform pose enveloped in a shroud from which his arms protrude. These are crossed at the wrists over his chest, with his hands holding a crook and flail respectively. These attributes suggest that the origins of Osiris lay in the agricultural and pastoral pursuits of the early ancient Egyptians who used the flail to thresh grain and the crook to shepherd their flocks. He wears the White Crown of Upper Egypt which is fronted by a uraeus, or sacred cobra. These serpents were believed not to have eye lids and were employed as eternal, vigilant protectors of gods and kings because the Egyptians believed that they never closed their eyes to sleep. Osiris is also shown wearing a false beard, generally identified as that of a goat because the ancient Egyptians, like the Greeks and Romans after them, believe that the goat was one of the most sexually prolific of animals. This characteristic enabled Osiris to know Isis posthumously, fathering their son, Horus. In like manner, that characteristic enabled the deceased, identified with Osiris, to be resurrected in the Hereafter on the model of human procreation.The use secondary inlays in this bronze, particularly striking in the eyes, but also prominent in the crook and flail and in the sun disc on the crown, deserve special mention. The ancient Egyptians believed that the minerals of the earth were imbued with special properties and that these properties could be conveyed to deities when their images were embellished with inlays. As a result of this conceit, this image of Osiris was anciently regarded as being minerally-charged with all of the natural resources of the earth. When entombed, all of these powers were brought to bear as well on his resurrection. The deceased, often identified with Osiris, would likewise benefit from such powers. It is on the basis of such Egyptian practices that Christian reliquaries and covers of books of the Gospels were similarly encrusted during the Middle Ages. The practice persists to this day among certain adherents of New Age philosophies.References:For a comparable, but somewhat smaller figure of Osiris, likewise incrusted with secondary inlays, see Werner Kaiser, Ägyptisches Museum Berlin (Berlin 1967), inventory number 839 on page 82.- (FZ.380)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 7.25" (18.4cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Ushabti Medium: Faience Condition: Extra Fine Perhaps no single  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 7.25" (18.4cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Ushabti Medium: Faience Condition: Extra Fine Perhaps no single object epitomizes the spirit of Ancient Egypt better than the ushabti. Shaped like a divine mummy, the ushabti evokes the magical side of the Egyptian belief in an afterlife, while the two hoes clutched in the hands recall the rural, agrarian culture of the land. The word ushabti (supplanting the older term shawabti) literally means “the answerer.” The function of these little figures is described in Chapter VI of the Book of the Dead: “O this Ushabti! If (the deceased) is called upon to do hard labor in the hereafter, say thou: I am here.” The ushabti was expected to answer the call to work in place of the deceased, and this passage was frequently inscribed on the figures themselves. Originally, a single ushabti was placed in a given tomb; but by the New Kingdom, the statues had come to be regarded as servants and slaves for the deceased rather than as a substitute, and many might be found buried together, along with an overseer figure. In the course of Egyptian history, ushabti were created from wood, stone, metal, and faience. In the cultural renaissance of the XXVI Dynasty (Saite period), a green faience, the color of the Nile and evocative of the verdant landscape in springtime, was particularly popular. To look upon an ushabti is to come face to face with the mystery and magic of Egypt itself. - (PF.5797)   « Less