Ancient Egyptian
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Origin: Egypt
Circa: 400 AD to 600 AD
Dimensions: 13.25" (33.7cm) high x 6.25 " (15.9cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Coptic
Medium: Wood, Ivory
This piece may be More »
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 400 AD to 600 AD
Dimensions: 13.25" (33.7cm) high x 6.25 " (15.9cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Coptic
Medium: Wood, Ivory
This piece may be one of the earliest recorded representations of St Peter, and as such is of global importance in both religious and art- historical terms. The figure is rendered in low relief on a wooden panel just over a foot high, and is framed by a raised border decorated with ivory trim and quadrangular motifs decorated with five dots each. The apex of the panel is decorated with a fretwork ivory arch, containing floral decoration, a pair of ornate Coptic crosses in circles, and a pair of fish facing one another. The figure is ‘standing’ on what is evidently intended to be a plinth, containing a small Coptic inscription written on an ivory panel, a pair of small Coptic crosses, and a pair of birds facing towards the centre. The iconography is unmistakably Christian, as the doves and the fish have strong biblical associations with Christ and Christianity. The figure itself is in wood, with head, hands and feet rendered in ivory. His accessories – a staff, a cross and a halo – are also made from ivory strips. As befits his status, he is dressed in a plain, long tunic that reaches to the feet, decorated frontally with 6 small crosses made from incised dots. The cuffs of each sleeve are also decorated with incised dots, and the texture of the fabric has been rendered in great detail with every fold and wrinkle in position. The head is made from a single block of ivory, showing a bearded face with hair cut to below the ears, a long, aquiline nose and a small mouth. The pose of the figure and the facial expression suggest stoic serenity.The inscription has been independently translated, and rendered as follows: The reading seems to be "shay agape". Since the word "shay" has at least 5 to 6 meanings, depending on the Coptic, it took some time to come to a conclusion and the translation I offer is to be taken with caution: "Festival of loveâ€. Another version of the term “shay†is “giftâ€, so it might also be translated as “gift of loveâ€.Coptic icons and votive pieces are the result of fusion between Christian ideology and Hellenistic/Egyptian art styles of Late Antiquity. The most famous examples of this style are the Fayum mummy portraits, which are a combination of Greek and Roman techniques, bonded with aspects of Egyptian modeling as well as Egyptian funerary beliefs – as they are painted onto mummies. As Christianity took hold in the Eastern Mediterranean, Coptic style images were painted onto the walls of churches, as well as onto icons and devotional pieces. Comparatively little is known of early icon painters, as few signed their work and not much was written about them at the time.The current piece is believed to represent St Peter, one of Jesus’ 12 apostles, who went on to become a leading figure of the Christian movement after Jesus’ death. Originally named Simon, he was born in Bethsaida and worked as a fisherman with his brother Andrew. He is credited with various miraculous achievements, including walking on water, and is intimately associated with Jesus’ latter days, denying him three times, and being the first to enter his tomb after the Resurrection. He was crucified upside- down in 64 or 67 AD (accounts vary) and was thus both a martyr and a saint. This is reflected in the fact that his eyes are rather large in proportion to the rest of his face (a characteristics of sainthood in Coptic icons) and that he also wears a serene expression (a marker of martyrs).This is a remarkable survival, an important religious and historical item, and also a beautifully-executed and serene piece of ancient art. - (LO.589 (LSO)) « Less
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Origin: Egypt
Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC
Dimensions: 4.5" (11.4cm) high x 3.75" (9.5cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Corinthian
Medium: Faience
This miniature vessel More »
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC
Dimensions: 4.5" (11.4cm) high x 3.75" (9.5cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Corinthian
Medium: Faience
This miniature vessel is a spherical aryballos widely used as a container for oil in the Late Archaic and Early Classical Periods of Greek history. It was doubtless mould made and relies upon two different hues of blue faience for its visual impact. In keeping with Greek aesthetic concerns, this aryballos is divided into distinctive zones which emphasize the tectonic shape of the vessel itself. The thick, disk-shaped mouth rises up from a narrow neck. Its top surface is concave and pierced with a small, central opening, both of which were intentionally designed to control the flow of oil. The mouth is attached to a strap handle exhibiting a scored, design. The body of the aryballos itself is divided into two zones, separated from one another by a double, sculptural band. The pattern above on the shoulder zone is a frieze of lancelet-like leaves raised up from the background in such as way that they appear as sculptural elements. Below, is a tongue-pattern of alternating lighter and darker blue forms.Such vessels are indebted to forms created earlier in terracotta by Corinthian potteries who introduced the spherical shape in imitation of fruit. The lancelet-like leaves and tongue patterning on our example are certainly evocative of the stylized skins of fruit which are peeled before eating. Ceramicists from East Greek city-states in Ionia then adopted the Egyptian technology of faience for the manufacture of such vessels. These aryballoi not only held precious unguents and balms used as cosmetics by wealthy Greeks, but also pure olive oil with which athletes in the Olympic and other games bathed.References:For a discussion of the type and very good parallels for our aryballos, see Virginia Webb, Archaic Greek Faience (Warminster 1978), plate XVII, nos. 747 and 751; and plate XVIII, no. 755.- (LO.611) « Less
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Ancient Egyptian
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Origin: Egypt
Circa: 1382 BC to 1344 BC
Dimensions: 11" (27.9cm) high
Collection: Egyptian
Style: New Kingdom
Medium: Wood
The image is that of a corpulent, aged More »
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 1382 BC to 1344 BC
Dimensions: 11" (27.9cm) high
Collection: Egyptian
Style: New Kingdom
Medium: Wood
The image is that of a corpulent, aged individual striding forward with his left leg advanced. That corpulence is conveyed by the modeling of the upper torso with its subtly protruding pectoral muscles rising to each side of the sternal notch which terminates in a narrow, tear-drop shaped, depressed navel. The corpulence is extended to his face which exhibits fleshy, full-cheeks and a mouth with full lips, the corners of which are drilled. His large, circular eyes still retain traces of their original black paint.He is shown wearing an undecorated, belt-less, wrap-around kilt with its central flap beneath the fold-over. Both of his arms are held parallel to the sides of his body; his left hand with its open palm is pressed against his thigh. His right hand clasps an ankh, or sign of life. His hair is styled in a series of distinctive waves which run parallel to one another and lay flat on the top of his head. This treatment of the hair is stylistically similar to that found on a wooden statuette, inscribed for the young lady Nebetya, which was formerly in the collection of Martine, Comtesse de Béhague. Such a coiffure may also quite possibly be a variant in sculpture in the round of the so-called Nubian wig which was repeatedly depicted in two-dimensional representations of the period.The rectangular base on which the figure stands, and which appears to be original to the statuette, is inscribed with two columns of hieroglyphs. These contain the nomen and prenomen of the pharaoh Amenhotep III introduced by their respective epithets. These can be translated into English as, “The King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Neb-maat-re, the Son of the Sun God, Re, Amenhotep, the Ruler of Thebes, may he be granted life like Re [forever].â€There was an intense production of wooden figures during the reign of Amenhotep III, as is evidenced by the numerous surviving examples of statuettes of members of his harem discovered in the Faiyum at Medinet Ghurab. These all stand on similar rectangular bases and are distinctive in regard to their facial features since no two of their physiognomies are alike. None of these statuettes exhibits royal insignia as part of their regalia. The statuette of Nebetya, mentioned above, belongs to this series.Wooden statuettes were also created for Amenhotep III himself as the examples in Hildesheim and Brooklyn demonstrate. The example in Brooklyn is particularly interesting inasmuch as it, too, rests on a rectangular base inscribed for this pharaoh, and portrays him as a corpulent, aged individual. His arms which are now missing were separately made as was his still preserved crown. The absence of any royal insignia on the head of our statuette seems to conform to the known predilection of the ancient Egyptians to modify wooden images of their royals. The modification to the small wooden head of Queen Tiye in Berlin is perhaps the best know example of this practice. It is also possible that the ankh-sign alone sufficed to indicate the royal status of our figure. One is reminded of the fact that numerous statuettes in small scale were created for this pharaoh which stand outside of the traditional repertoire, and these include the serpentine statuette, unfortunately without its head, now in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is, therefore, possible that this interesting statuette represents the king himself or one of his extremely close and trusted courtiers.References:A. P. Kozloff and B. M. Bryan, Egypt’s Dazzling Sun. Amenhotep III and his World (Cleveland 1992), pages 194 and 210 [for the inscribed, wooden image of the corpulent and aged Amenhotep III in The Brooklyn Museum; pages 211-212, no. 27 [for the wooden statuette of Amenhotep III in Hildlesheim]; pages 257-260 [for the wooden statuettes of the members of his harem from the Faiyum, including the image of Nebetya]; pages 209-210, no. 26 [for the reworked wooden head of Queen Tiye]; and 102, figure IV.23 [for a two-dimensional representation of Amenhotep III weaing the Nubian wig, of which the hair style of our statuette may possibly be a variation].- (LO.614) « Less
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Ancient Egyptian
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Origin: Egypt
Circa: 1450 BC to 1070 BC
Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high
Collection: Egyptian
Style: New Kingdom
Medium: Stone
This elegantly-carved head represents the More »
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 1450 BC to 1070 BC
Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high
Collection: Egyptian
Style: New Kingdom
Medium: Stone
This elegantly-carved head represents the Egyptian goddess Hathor – also known as Mehturt – who was one of the longest- worshipped deities in the Egyptian pantheon. Like most Egyptian gods, she went through various incarnations from a “cow goddess†flanking Narmer (who unified Egypt in the 31st century BC) on his eponymous palette, through to being the wife of Ra (the sun god), the wife of Thoth (god of the moon and/or a heavenly mediator) and the mother of Horus (the god of the sky). However, she never lost her primary role, which was goddess of the Milky Way, representative of milk spilling from the udders of a heavenly cow.As the Milky Way, she was believed to encircle the sky – and thus her son, Horus – although she was worshipped for much longer than her offspring, who was replaced by the sun god, Ra. Her significance was mainly economic, for the Milky Way was believed to be a heavenly version of the terrestrial Nile, which could not flood without her assistance. As three quarters of Egypt’s population was directly reliant upon the Nile, a failure to flood spelled disaster; thus her social importance never declined. Expectant mothers also worshipped Hathor, as she was seen as a herald of imminent birth, and she was also seen as a protector for those in desertic areas. It is also interesting to note the parallels between Egypt and other parts of the ancient world who also revered bulls and cows; the Neolithic site of Catal Huyuk was but one of many who became invested with “tauromaquiaâ€, while zebus constituted much of the economy of various Near Eastern and Central Asian countries.Iconographically, she is depicted as a human female with horns supporting a sun disc, or as a cow, again with the horns and disc motif. Early versions of her image show her with what later became known as the Eye of Horus. When in human form, she wears a distinctive dress with circular decorations. She is often shown with an ankh, a cobra and a sun-disc; she also usually wore a (jewelled) collar. Hathor’s cult was centered in Dendera where she was a goddess of fertility and childbirth. There are many others across Egypt, including one in Southern Sinai. Many of these temples maintained a live incarnation of Hathor, which had to measure up to certain standards. He (for it was usually a bull) was used for divination purposes and lived in the temple, tended to as merits a living deity.This piece represents Hathor without her usual paraphernalia, but with the ornate eye-design seen in earlier pieces. Her neck is slim and elongated, narrowing superiorly and merging smoothly with the underside of the jaw and the back of the head. The curves are sensuously and fluidly carved, with details such as the ears and the mouth/nose picked out with consummate care. The stone bears signs of applied pigment, which is concentrated on the complex eyes, with elevated rims and the iris and pupil carefully picked out. There are two cavities atop the head that indicate the presence of horns, which were presumably made from an organic material, since lost.The origin of the piece is uncertain, although it was clearly a devotional object. Its size suggests that it may have been a domestic piece, receiving prayers, libations and requests for supernatural assistance. This is a mature and serene piece of ancient sculpture, and a major asset to any serious collection of Egyptian religious art. - (LO.610 (LSO)) « Less
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Origin: Egypt
Circa: 100 AD to 300 AD
Dimensions: 3.25" (8.3cm) high x 10" (25.4cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Roman Period
Medium: Rock Crystal
The importance of More »
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 100 AD to 300 AD
Dimensions: 3.25" (8.3cm) high x 10" (25.4cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Roman Period
Medium: Rock Crystal
The importance of cats to ancient Egyptian society cannot be overstated. They appear regularly in mythological and reincarnation myths, are made into goddesses (such as Bastet) and were mummified with as much care and reverence as their human counterparts. It is therefore little wonder that sculptures of them are not uncommon. However, they are usually carved from basalt or alabaster, or painted on the caskets or tombs of the deceased. This is the most remarkable feline carving we have seen. Rock crystal, the material from which our cat is sculpted, appears to have been reserved for deluxe creations during the pharaonic period. The material underwent something of a revival during the Roman Imperial Period when wealthy Romans took full advantage of Egypt’s immense cultural heritage to decorate their homes, palaces and tombs. Other examples of this include the Roman fad for mummification, for although the tradition had been on the decline for some time before the Roman occupation, the occupying forces were much taken by the longevity of Egypt’s Old Kingdom rulers’ physical remains. While the mummification practiced during the late period was often decidedly lackadaisical, however, superb works of art were often produced by artisans working in a wide range of scarce and costly materials. Our cat – although the possibility of the piece representing some other feline species cannot be ruled out – is naturalistically represented in an alert yet recumbent attitude, with its body drawn up into a semi-circle and fore paws touching. The hind legs are drawn up yet relaxed, and the tail is wrapped alongside them. The detailing of anatomical features is achieved with extreme precision, down to the rings on the tail that characterize depictions of certain species of ancient Egyptian cats. Our cat’s head is slightly raised with its eyes focused straight ahead as if startled or surveying potential danger; this impression is enhanced by the fact that the cat’s ears are drawn toward the back of its head. The rarity of this specimen is such that the role it originally played in the society that produced it is unclear. There are two possibilities – either that is genuinely portrays a feline subject of some affection for the sculptor (or the person who commissioned the work), or that it is a reflection of the perpetuating reverence for the goddess Bastet, which continued into Roman times. The sheer size of the object (10†long) and the rarity of the material would seem to suggest the latter, for it would otherwise seem to be a devastatingly expensive way of expressing affection for a feline companion. Malek, J. The Cat in Ancient Egypt (London 1993) Shaw, I. and Nicholson, P. BM Dictionary of Ancient Egypt (London 1995). - (X.0727) « Less
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Origin: Egypt
Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC
Dimensions: 3.75" (9.5cm) high
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Late Kingdom
Medium: Bronze
The cult of Apis was highly discriminatory More »
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 600 BC to 500 BC
Dimensions: 3.75" (9.5cm) high
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Late Kingdom
Medium: Bronze
The cult of Apis was highly discriminatory in its worship of bulls. Rather than all bulls, the cult worshipped a special, carefully chosen individual animal. Apis (Hapi in Egyptian) was a live bull kept in the temple of Ptah in Memphis. Apis was believed to be the tangible representative of a powerful god who could not be directly experienced, rather like the role of the Pope in Catholicism. The god to which Apis was attached changed through time and administrations. The first was Ptah, who was later usurped by Osiris, who was in turn displaced by Atum. The bull acted as an oracle for the Egyptians, who could crave boons, ask questions or just communicate to their deity. The movements of Apis, were thought to reflect the response of the god. In this sense, Apis was very much a domestic god in the sense that only the aristocracy and the priestly class were thought to fully be a part of the impenetrably complex and forbidding world of state-level religion: Apis, by contrast, was directly reachable by anyone. The life and death of the bulls were a matter of serious concern for Egyptians. When the incumbent died, a search not unlike that undertaken by the Tibetans for a new Dalai Lama would explode into action. The successor had to match 29 different attributes that constituted physical perfection in the Apis bull, including having no subsequent siblings, being black with a white diamond on its forehead, and possessing thick tail hair (Herodotus). The pomp and ceremony surrounding the discovery of an appropriate bull was considerable, as summarised by Apis Diodorus: “… During the forty days, none but women are admitted to see him, who being placed full in his view, pluck up their coats and expose their person. Afterwards, they are forbidden to come into the sight of [Apis]. . .†After this, Apis was moved by sacred barge to his sanctuary in Memphis, at the southern end of the Temple of Ptah. Following an elaborate enthronement ceremony, Apis was led out of the hall through the eastern (rising sun) door and presented to the people massed outside. His life would have been one of untrammelled luxury: he was fed the best foods, slept on luxurious bedding, had his own harem, was given hot baths, massaged and perfumed. Every day, he was taken out to exercise, his slightest movement interpreted as answers to questions posed by his believers. Yes/no answers were obtained by asking a question and then seeing which of the two enclosures he entered on the way back to his stalls. His mother was also kept in luxury in an adjacent sanctuary. Bulls, oddly, were the main sacrifice offered to Apis, as recounted by Herodotus: “Bulls are considered the property of Apis, and therefore tested in the following way: A priest appointed for the purpose examines the animal, and if he finds even a single black hair upon him, pronounces him unclean; he goes over him with the greatest care, first making him stand up, then lie on his back, after which he pulls out his tongue to see that, too, it is "clean†according to the recognized marks… He also inspects the tail to make sure the hair on it grows properly; then, if the animal passes all these tests successfully, the priest marks him by twisting round his horns a band of papyrus, which he seals with wax and stamps with his signet ring. The bull is finally taken away, and the penalty is death for anybody who sacrifices an animal which has not been marked in this manner.†The importance of bulls meant that such sacrifices were not undertaken lightly, however, being reserved for special occasions. Even Apis’ birthday was celebrated in a seven-day festival in which he was led through the streets with a choir of singing boys. His death (sometimes accelerated by drowning if he became infirm in advanced old age) was heralded by a 60-day mourning period, during which pious Egyptians kept their heads shaven and only ate vegetables. The corpse was taken through the western door and given a spectacular funeral. Evidence suggests that his flesh was eaten, and that his head and bones were mummified. They were then placed in a richly decorated coffin and buried with their canopic jars, and even sometimes their ushabtis. The dead Apis, having become an Osiris, was worshipped as a god of agricultural fecundity and the afterlife. When the Greeks took over Egypt, they translated the name of the dead Apis as “Osorapis,†which lead to a confusion, and eventually an amalgam with their own god Serapis, who was worshipped according to Greek tradition in the Serapeum in Alexandria. Both gods came to be worshipped together at the bull necropolis in Saqqara that we now call the Serapeum. This bronze Apis is an excellent example of its type. Dating from the Late period (600-500 BC), it stands 3.75†tall on an incorporated plinth (it has been mounted on a display block for ease of exposition). Bearing the sacred disc and uraeus, it is also decorated with geometric designs incorporated into the original mould. Stance is dynamic, with the left legs placed forward and the right legs about to be lifted. Muscle detailing and other aspects of the body are sensitively modelled, with all small details well marked and no casting flaws. The proportions of the body are exact and elegant. The condition and patina are superb. This is a truly exceptional piece of ancient metal sculpture, and a credit to any collection. - (X.0721) « Less
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Ancient Egyptian
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Origin: Egypt
Circa: 1080 BC to 720 BC
Dimensions: 27.4" (69.6cm) high x 8.75" (22.2cm) wide x 1.25" (3.2cm) depth
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Third Intermediate More »
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 1080 BC to 720 BC
Dimensions: 27.4" (69.6cm) high x 8.75" (22.2cm) wide x 1.25" (3.2cm) depth
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Third Intermediate Period
Medium: wood
These two brightly painted panels each contain a train of three deities, two of which are well preserved in each panel. Each of these deities is identically attired in a tightly-fitting raiment decorated with a red-X. That X-shaped design imitates “suspenders,†which are habitually found on the lids of coffins of the period. This motif replicates the leather “mummy suspenders†which were routinely included as part of the burial equipment of the time. Additionally, these deities hold bolts of linen cloth, either naturally white or dyed red, in their hands, and these allude to the mummy bandages with which the mummy placed within this sarcophagus was wrapped. Their headdresses are all uniformly painted blue, perhaps in imitation of lapis lazuli.The deities are depicted standing up a tri- colored, rectangular ornament which represents a serekh, originally depicting the crenellated façade of a palace, but which, with the passing of time, came to represent symbolically any sacred precinct, such as the tomb in which the deceased was interred.Two of the deities are human-headed, and three serpent-headed. They belong to a college of funerary deities whose number is vast and whose spheres of influence are only imperfectly understood by modern scholars. The hieroglyphic labels confined to a single horizontal row across the top of each panel are identical, and perhaps associate the deities with the sun god Re, to judge by the fragmentary nature of the beginning of each of these labels. The labels then continue to identify the deities in the most generic way possible, combining them all together under the single rubric, “The gods who are in heaven.†Not one, therefore, is named.The panels, dated to the Third Intermediate Period, provide an interesting window into the arcane nature of ancient Egyptian funerary practices at a time when the deities of Egypt appear to have been without number. Their complex mythological roles and functions mirror the complexities of mummification of the period, because the art of the embalmers during the Third Intermediate Period represents the apogee of their craft. Never before and never after were Egyptian mummies so carefully prepared with such exacting attention to detail.References: For the suspenders, see, John H. Taylor, Egyptian Coffins (Aysnesbury, Bucks 1989), pages 43 and 46; these myriad deities are encountered on both papyri and sarcophagi of the period, see, A. Niwinski, 21st Dynasty Coffins from Thebes (Mainz am Rhein 1987) and idem, Studies on the Illustrated Theban Funerary Papyri of the 11th and 10th Centuries B.C. (Göttingen 1989).- Dr. Robert Steven BianchiDimensions of right panel: Height 27.37", width 8.75", depth 1.25"Dimensions of left panel: Height 26.75", width 8.75", depth 1" - (LO.608) « Less
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Origin: Egypt
Circa: 2494 BC to 2300 BC
Dimensions: 14.0" (35.6cm) high x 12.2" (31.0cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Old Kingdom; Dynasty V-VI
Medium: More »
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 2494 BC to 2300 BC
Dimensions: 14.0" (35.6cm) high x 12.2" (31.0cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Old Kingdom; Dynasty V-VI
Medium: Limestone
This panel, painted on limestone, exhibits a very unusual gray background which is limited to a select number of tombs decorated during the last two dynasties of the Old Kingdom. The preserved vignette depicts the bust of an elite, male official facing right. His hair is closely cropped and his accessories include a broad collar on his naked chest. In keeping with ancient Egyptian color conventions, which are gender specific, his body is painted in a rich red color to indicate that his field of activity is outdoors. A hand, gently placed on his shoulder, of which the fingers and thumb are clearly visible, is painted in yellow, the color reserved for women who were sequestered within the confines of home and palace. The color and placement of that hand on this officials shoulder suggests that it belongs to his wife. One can then suggest that this scene, doubtless from a tomb, depicted this anonymous official together with his wife in a loving pose, perhaps seated, before what can be reconstructed as funerary offerings.References:For contemporary depictions on offering bearers on a gray background, see the suite of late Dynasty VI vignettes, painted on Nile mud, in the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem, Guide to the Collections (Jerusalem 1992), page 54.- (LO.615) « Less
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Origin: Egypt
Circa: 8000 BC to 5000 BC
Dimensions: 1.1428" (2.9cm) high x 4.5" (11.4cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian Antiquities
Style: Neolithic
Medium: Flint
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 8000 BC to 5000 BC
Dimensions: 1.1428" (2.9cm) high x 4.5" (11.4cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian Antiquities
Style: Neolithic
Medium: Flint « Less
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Origin: Egypt
Circa: 3200 BC to 2500 BC
Dimensions: 4.5" (11.4cm) high x 7.8" (19.8cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Negada II - early Dynastic Period
Medium: More »
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 3200 BC to 2500 BC
Dimensions: 4.5" (11.4cm) high x 7.8" (19.8cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Negada II - early Dynastic Period
Medium: Granite
This carefully crafted stone vessel is semi- circular in profile and exhibits two, transversely pierced lug handles on either side of the its body, sculpted from the same, single block of stone at the point of the vessel’s greatest diameter. The mouth of this vase is disc shaped and set off from the shoulder by a deeply incised line. Vessels of this shape in a variety of stones are dated to the period shortly before and after the traditional unification of Egypt around 3200 BC.Vases such as this were often placed in tombs where they served a dual role. On the one hand, they may have contained foodstuffs and the like intended for the spiritual nourishment of the deceased in the Hereafter. On the other hand, stones were considered magical materials because of their seeming permanence. The placing of stone vessels in tombs of the period may, therefore, be regarded as a means of magically insuring the permanence of the deceased by the transference of that quality inherent in the stone to his or her spirit.It is interesting to observe that the ancient Egyptian artisans were sculpting vessels in stone in large quantities well before they were creating stone sculpture. The primacy of stone vessels for sculptors is evident in the hieroglyphs, in which the noun for “sculptor†is actually a depiction of one of the tools used to hollow out the interior of such stone vessels.References:There is an identical parallel, excavated at Qau, Tomb 1629 and dated from Negada II to the early Dynastic Period in London, The Petrie Museum [inventory number 15790]=Badari number 1629.- (PF.7018) « Less
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Ancient Egyptian
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Barakat Gallery |
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