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THBRare Egyptian Polychrome Limestone Ushabti
Lot 7a
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:
$3,500 - $5,000
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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
Jul 11, 2019
Set Reminder
2019-07-11 10:00:00
2019-07-11 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Ancient / Ethnographic / Americana
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-ethnographic-americana-4246
Discover ancient art from Egypt, Greece, Italy, and the Near East, as well as Asian, Pre-Columbian, Tribal, Fossils and Fine Art. Also featuring a wonderful collection from a prominent New York estate whose owners reside in the Van Wyck family's historic Lloyd Harbor waterfront home. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Discover ancient art from Egypt, Greece, Italy, and the Near East, as well as Asian, Pre-Columbian, Tribal, Fossils and Fine Art. Also featuring a wonderful collection from a prominent New York estate whose owners reside in the Van Wyck family's historic Lloyd Harbor waterfront home. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (415)
- Lot Description
Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, Ramesside Period, 19th to 20th Dynasty, ca. 1292 to 1070 BCE. A beautiful, hand-carved limestone ushabti displaying a myriad of fine details. The figure stands in mummiform upon thick legs which gradually expand to wide hips, with elbows projecting from the sides. Red-painted details include a pair of hands holding the symbolic pick and hoe, a large striped pectoral collar which hangs between each shoulder, and a reed basket draped across the back. The visage is composed of almond eyes, a broad nose, and full lips, and the tripartite wig surrounding the yellow-painted face is colored with dark-blue pigment. A single column of inscribed hieroglyphic text is enclosed within a pair of incised, red-painted bands, and the recessed symbols are brought forth against the yellow ground with black pigment. Typical shabti figures are formed from faience or carved from wood, so a limestone example like this is exceedingly rare. Size: 1.8" W x 5.5" H (4.6 cm x 14 cm); 6.4" H (16.3 cm) on included custom stand.
Ushabti dolls are figures shaped like adult male or female mummies wearing traditional Egyptian headdresses. The ancient Egyptians believed that, after they died, their spirits would have to work in the "Field of Reeds" owned by Osiris, the god of the underworld. As a result, they are frequently depicted with arms crossed, typically holding picks and hoes, with baskets on their backs. This meant that the task of agricultural labor was required by all members of society, from workers and scribes to aristocrats and even pharaohs. The wealthier nobility in Egyptian society were able to have ushabti made of faience, though wood was a more economical option for members of lower classes.
While the text on this ushabti has not been translated, it likely follows an abbreviated template from chapter 6 of the Egyptian "Book of the Dead" (literally translated as the "Book of Going Forth by Day"). It pays homage to the "sehedj Osiris" (meaning the "illuminated" Osiris) so that the deity looks kindly and mercifully upon the soul of the deceased when entering his sacred gardens in the afterlife. Shorter inscriptions like the one on this example would simply bear Osiris' name as well as the name and title of the deceased, though longer translations present the deceased as ready and willing to tend to the Field of Reeds when called upon.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Richard Wagner collection, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 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.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#146896Restoration to front of feet. Minor abrasions to legs, body, and head, with fading to several areas of original pigmentation, light softening to some finer details and inscribed hieroglyphic text, and light encrustations. Nice earthen deposits and traces of original pigmentation throughout.Condition
- Shipping Info
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