Rare Miniature Egyptian Obsidian Pesesh-Kef Amulet

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Exceptional Antiquities Ethnographic Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

Mar 24, 2022

Set Reminder 2022-03-24 10:00:00 2022-03-24 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities Ethnographic Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-ethnographic-fine-art-9057
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• Lot Description
  Ancient Egypt, First Intermediate Period, 8th to 9th Dynasty, ca. 2181 to 2140 BCE. Perhaps one of the most unique and unusual Egyptian artifacts, a hand-carved black obsidian amulet known as a pesesh-kef (PsS-kf in Egyptian) used during a funerary ritual called the "Opening of the Mouth." The petite tool exhibits mottled beige speckles within the dark matrix, a slender shaft with a bifurcated base that curls into a pair of upturned points, and an integral suspension loop on the verso. The top of the enigmatic tool features a highly stylized visage characteristic of First Intermediate examples - with full lips, a triangular nose, and beady eyes - but with an unusual pleated wig reminiscent of the signature pharaonic nemes headdress. Miniature pesesh-kef amulets like this example are rare due to contemporaries being of a larger, handheld size for ritual use and are typically without a human face. Size: 1.55" L x 0.71" W (3.9 cm x 1.8 cm)
  
  Cf. a carnelian example with a gold head at The British Museum, museum number EA30848; for additional information on the pesesh-kef, please see: Roth, Ann Macy. "The PsS-kf and the 'Opening of the Mouth' Ceremony: A Ritual of Birth and Rebirth." Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 78 (1992), pp. 113-147.
  
  For additional information about the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony, please see the Global Egyptian Museum article entitled "Opening of the Mouth ritual."
  
  Provenance: private Boynton Beach, Florida, USA collection; ex-Sands of Time Ancient Art, Washington, DC, USA; ex-Alex Malloy collection, Charles Town, West Virginia, USA, 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.
  
  #170761

  Condition

  Petite nicks and abrasions along blade body, with very light encrustations within some string-cut grooves, otherwise intact and choice. Wonderful preservation to carved facial details and pleats of wig. Very light remains of original stringing within suspension hole on verso.
• Shipping Info

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