Large Egyptian Limestone Relief Head / Sarcophagus Lid

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Exceptional Day 1: Antiquities Asian Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

May 22, 2019

Set Reminder 2019-05-22 10:00:00 2019-05-22 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Day 1: Antiquities Asian Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-day-1-antiquities-asian-fine-art-4129
Day 1 of an important 2-day auction featuring exceptional art from around the world - Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Viking, Russian, Near Eastern; Asian Art from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, India; Fine Art from the 17th century to present. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Egyptian, Late Period to Early Ptolemaic, ca. 4th to 3rd century BCE. A monumental carved limestone head from a relief or the lid of an anthropoid sarcophagus. The visage is exceptional with finely carved almond-shaped eyes adorned by cosmetic lines that extend outward to the prominent ears, with elegant brows above, a naturalistic nose, and full lips that are closed but form a gentle smile - all upon a classic triangular-shaped face and wearing a plain wig that is tucked behind the ears Size: 18.1" H (46 cm)
  
  A similar Egyptian limestone head from a sarcophagus lid - the same size - sold for $206,500 at Christie's New York (9 December 2010, Lot 28) - https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/an-egyptian-limestone-head-from-a-sarcophagus-5385334-details.aspx
  
  Another comparable example, though with pigmentation, was featured at Sotheby's New York (8 December 2015), lot 27 with a $200,000 to $300,000 estimate. A catalogue note reads, "Cf. Sue D’Auria, Peter Lacovara, and Catharine H. Roehrig, Mummies & Magic, The Funerary Arts of Ancient Egypt, Boston, 1988, p. 193, no. 139, for a similar sarcophagus mask slightly later in date. The author writes that it "belongs to a class that evolved in Dynasty 30, and continued in use well into the Ptolemaic Period. Some dated examples were found by Petrie in Cemetery B at Abydos, belonging to Dynasty 30, and later sarcophagi of the same type are recorded from Qau and Akhmim. They usually bear inscriptions down the front in vertical columns, and additional decoration could be provided at the sides in the form of representations of the Four Sons of Horus or other funerary deities. Large wesekh-collars with falcon-headed terminals are also a feature of certain examples of this type of sarcophagus. Many uninscribed sarcophagi of this shape and material are known; they may be unfinished, or the painted decoration has not survived." (http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2015/antiquities-n09438/lot.27.html)
  
  Provenance: private Connecticut, USA collection; private American collection, Mr. AE by descent from his grandfather Elzeldeen Taha Eldarir, accompanied by a sales invoice from Mr. Salhaddin Refik Sirmali, 1941
  
  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.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #146714

  Condition

  Expected surface wear with chips to high-pointed areas and losses to peripheries as shown. A few stabilized pressure cracks. Amazing manganese blooms. Set on a cleat system - designed to hang on a wall.
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