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THBEgyptian Late Dynastic Gilt Cartonnage Mummy Mask
Lot 2
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$15,000 - $25,000
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Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Feb 21, 2019
Set Reminder
2019-02-21 10:00:00
2019-02-21 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-3858
An important one-day auction featuring museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
An important one-day auction featuring museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (472)
- Lot Description
Egyptian, Late Dynastic Period to Ptolemaic, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 30 BCE. A gorgeous gilded cartonnage sarcophagus mask displaying quintessential Egyptian beauty, made from layers of plaster-covered papyrus or linen, gilded and painted with bright pigments. The face is defined by fine black-painted eyes and brows, high-set ovoid ears lined in red pigment, and full lips in an enigmatic gentle smile, all enveloped in thin layers of gold leaf. A multi-stranded pectoral known as a weswkh collar is comprised of bands of floral, inverted triangular, and zigzag motifs outlined in black and presenting red, yellow, and traces of blue pigments. The verso is concave enough to fit over the head of a linen-wrapped mummy. A fantastic example that exudes a sense of human life even though it belongs to this funerary tradition. Size: 9.625" W x 13.75" H (24.4 cm x 34.9 cm); 17.5" H (44.4 cm) on included custom stand.
Ancient Egyptians believed it was of the utmost importance to preserve a body of the deceased, because the soul needed a place to reside after the death. Preservation of the body was done via mummification - a process involving the removal of internal organs that were placed in canopic jars, wrapping body in linen, and then embalming. Death masks like this example were created so that the soul could recognize the body and return to it. For this reason, death masks were made in the relative likeness of the deceased.
Artisans were able to employ the use of different materials when crafting sarcophagi or any elements to be placed atop the deceased. Earlier masks were carved from wood, while later ones were made of cartonnage, a material made from papyrus or linen and soaked in plaster which was then applied to a wooden mold. Royal death masks, perhaps the most famous being that of Tutankhamen, were made from precious metals. All death masks were intended to resemble the deceased subject; however, eyes were always slightly enlarged and lips presented in a subtle smile, as we see in this example.
A stylistically similar example hammered for GBP 25,000 ($33,378.88) at Christie's, London Antiquities Auction (sale 12240, December 6, 2016, lot 16): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/ancient-art-antiquities/an-egyptian-gilt-cartonnage-mummy-mask-ptolemaic-6041259-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=6041259&sid=991b487f-1b3d-4320-8452-269680a15e4a
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Dr. Vladimir Piskacek collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1970s
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#141446Expected surface wear with some indentations, divots, fissures, and tears at the peripheries. Losses to gilding and pigment as shown, though nice representations remain. On verso, seam between top section of tripartite wig and head is visible - possibly indicative of repair.Condition
- Shipping Info
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