Egyptian Limestone Sculptor's Model of a Left Foot

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It's a Small World | Diminutive Artifacts

By Artemis Gallery

Nov 11, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-11-11 12:00:00 2021-11-11 12:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : It's a Small World | Diminutive Artifacts https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/its-a-small-world-diminutive-artifacts-7836
Join us for a very special auction featuring art & artifacts from East to West, North to South, and everywhere in between - with one small thing in common - size! Everything in this auction is approximately 6 inches or less - perfect for that last bit of shelf space in your curio cabinet! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Egypt, Late Dynastic to Ptolemaic Period, ca. 664 to 30 BCE. A remarkable sculpture of a left foot that was used as a sculptor's model, skillfully hand-carved from creamy white limestone. Resting on a rectangular plinth, the elegant foot presents a slender form and elongated phalanges with both the second and third toes being longer than the first; a quality named the "Greek foot," which was idealized in Greek sculpture and continued to be the aesthetic standard through Roman art and up to the Modern era, as seen in the Statue of Liberty. The phalanges are fairly widely spaced as the foot lays flat, exhibiting no noticeable arch. A rounded heel is displayed at the back, where the foot rises to a nicely formed ankle with a gently risen talus bone and narrow heel cord. Note the artist's careful attention to detail as evident in the recessed nailbeds. Size: 6" L x 2.1" W x 2.7" H (15.2 cm x 5.3 cm x 6.9 cm)
  
  A carved foot like this example may have served as a model for a larger sculpture, to teach apprentice sculptors how to replicate a master style, or to produce ushabti figures (small funerary statues for tombs). Though sculptors' models are typically difficult to date - with some being from the Amarna period of the 18th Dynasty when new forms of statuary came in - most known examples are from the Late Dynastic and Ptolemaic periods. The Egyptians were keen observers of fauna, with many different animals gracing their mythology, artwork, and hieroglyphs; however, anthropomorphic models were typically among the most challenging to carve accurately.
  
  While sculptors' models appear to be from larger composite figures, their incomplete presentation could be an entirely separate item typology. Ancient Greek sculptural incompleteness was a generic form of presentation as the viewer could extrapolate who or what a sculpture was meant to represent. In contrast, the ancient Egyptians would view an incomplete votive work of art only as it was: part of a bird, a disembodied head, or in one instance the hind quarters of a lion. The smooth surface at the top of this foot indicates that it is a complete object by itself. According to Eric Young of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "When we consider the Egyptian pieces as sculptors' models, however, their incompleteness is no longer disturbing, but entirely understandable. As is the case with unquestioned sculptors' models...the apprentice sculptor concentrated his energies on those portions of the figure that he found intriguing, or most difficult, and the master sculptor demonstrated the correct way to delineate a head…" ("Sculptors' Models or Votives? In Defense of a Scholarly Tradition." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, March 1964, p. 255).
  
  Cf. the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 08.202.45, the Detroit Institute of Art, 78.61, and the Brooklyn Museum, 34.1001.
  
  Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
  
  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.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
  
  Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
  
  #152791

  Condition

  Smooth surface at top indicates that this foot was intended as a complete object separate from a body. Losses to area under heel, periphery of heel, and below first, second, and third toes. Expected minor chips, nicks, and abrasions to some areas. Otherwise, excellent with smooth surfaces and light earthen deposits.
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