Treasures From The Land Of The Pharaohs
Unless otherwise noted the provenance of all items on this page is the estate of a prominent 20th century Egyptologist. The collection was assembled in the early to mid 20th century and brought to the US in 1954. Details provided to purchasers.
WOOD GLASS STONE BRONZE SCARABS FAIENCE TERRACOTTA IVORY CARTONNAGE COPTIC
FIGURES IN WOOD
7403. A FINE EGYPTIAN WOODEN FIGURE OF AN ICHNEUMON, c. late 2nd millennium BC. The small mongoose-like animal realistically carved with delicate head and legs on plump body, mounting tenon in belly and mortised for now missing tail. 2.6 inches. Choice small museum quality piece. Provenance: The collection of a prominent Egyptologist by descent. Acquired in the first half of the 20th century. Brought to the US in 1954 with the family.
$5500.
A MASTERWORK OF EGYPTIAN ART 7470. AN EGYPTIAN GESSO-PAINTED WOOD FIGURE OF A STRIDING OFFICIAL. Egypt, Middle Kingdom, Dynasty XI-XII, c. 2133-1897 BC. Wearing short echelon-curl wig, with powerful, realistically modeled body, each arm with clenched fist. The figure nude with much remaining pale yellow gesso paint on the wig and the body, the eyes painted with black and white, the separately carved legs attached to the body with tenons, flat tenons on the feet for attachment to a base. 16 inches in height. See a comparable figure Christies NY, 8/6/01 lot 80 only 8 inches high estimated at $35,000-$45,000. In excellent original condition, complete with no repair or restoration and all original paint.
Provenance: The collection of a prominent Egyptologist by descent. Acquired in the first half of the 20th century. Brought to the US in 1954 with the family.
7469. A POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURE OF PTAH-SOKER-OSIRIS, Dynasty XXV, 747-656 BC. The mummiform diety standing on a rectangular base with the Horus falcon facing him, and wearing a broad collar in white ornamented with numerous alternating red and blue bands, curled Pharonic beard and tripartite wig, and atef crown composed of plumes and sun disk, lines of hieroglyphic inscriptions down the front and down the back pillar. 12 x 26 x 7.5 inches. Intact original condition with no repainting or repair. Provenance: The collection of a prominent Egyptologist by descent. Acquired in the first half of the 20th century. Brought to the US in 1954 with the familyBack view.
7471. AN AMARNA OR NEAR AMARNA GESSO PAINTED WOOD FIGURE. Egyptian, c. 14th century BC. The standing kilted male figure carved with the typical Amarna elongate neck and head, with much remains of white, pink and black painted gesso on the body, the separately carved base attached to the feet with pegged tenons. 9.5 inches in height. Breaks at legs (midsections are separate and poorly aligned in the photo) in need of professional repair but otherwise complete and in excellent condition. Provenance: From the estate of a prominent Egyptologist active in the early part of the 20th century. Brought to the US with the family in 1954.
GLASS
7551. AN IMPORTANT EGYPTIAN MOSAIC GLASS FISH, c. 18th Dynasty, 1550-1295 BC. Similar examples are known from royal tombs of this period including one from the tomb of Tutankhamun. See for example Archaeological Odyssey Magazine, Nov./Dec. 1999, p. 8 for an image of a wonderful example now in the British Museum (incorrectly described as 'brightly painted' it is in fact composed of mosaic glass as is the present example). Opaque white glass with black stripes, azure eye with yellow iris ringed with black and a central black pupil. 27 mm. An extremely rare and early example of mosaic glass work. Significantly better than the photo. Provenance: The collection of a prominent Egyptologist by descent. Acquired in the first half of the 20th century. Brought to the US in 1954 with the family.
STONE
11068. EGYPTIAN OLD KINGDOM ALABASTER BOWL WITH CARTOUCHE. 3rd Dynasty, c. 2683-2613 BC. Provenance: McGregor Collection. Old tag on bottom gives find spot. Minor repair to rim, stable age lines at bottom. 5 x 8 inches. Very rare. A similar alabaster bowl but missing its rim can be found in the collection of the Field Museum of Chicago. Provenance: The Princeton Collection, purchased from prominent American and British dealers in the 1980's and 90's.
7401. A FINE EGYPTIAN CARVED STONE PYXIS. Roman Period, 1st-3rd century AD. Carved from a tan fine-grained stone, decorated on the sides with large wedjat eye and bird, palm trees at ends and on interior sides and ends, the thicker rim with decorative notches, remains of organic deposit inside. 2.5 x 4 x 1.75 inches. Repaired from two pieces. Rare and nice.
7399. EGYPTIAN STONE HEAD OF A RAM, c. 2nd-1st millennium BC. The head of exceptional classic Egyptian style with sharply detailed eyes and strongly downturning nose, remains of horns detailed on top and sides of head. On custom stand. Of the finest Egyptian stone sculptural style. 2.75 x 4 inches.
8938. CHOICE OLD KINGDOM DIORITE JAR, 2780-2060 BC. The elegant biconical vessel of speckled black and white stone with twin pierced lug handles, the surface finely turned and polished. 3.5 x 4 inches. Choice example and condition. Provenance: Acquired at a Greg Manning auction in New Jersey, June 22, 1996.
ATTRIBUTED BY DR. ROBERT S. BIANCHI 12962. COLLOSSAL LIMESTONE HEAD OF A SPHINX. Late Period to Early Ptolemaic Period, c. 500-250 BC. 24" tall x 17" wide x 21.5" deep. 28" tall counting the base. Shipping weight with included custom crate 309 lbs. The over life sized head is dominated by large hieroglyphic eyes, their upper and lower lids clearly defined and well preserved, set into shallow sockets. The lips of the mouth with their drilled corners are drawn up into a smile. The head wears the traditional Nemes headdress ornamented with a series of stripes in the form of raised and recessed planes. The headdress is fronted by a sacred uraeus cobra, its coiled tail arranged as a horizontal figure-8 parallel to the frontal band. Condition: There is some restoration to the right cheek. This is probably the side where it landed when it would have originally fallen from the body. This side of the face has patches of restoration at the cheek and toward the missing ear. The Nemes head cloth and ear on the left side are nearly all complete and in good detail. The damage is to the right side where the head cloth and ear have been lost and the right cheek has been patched. Note the photos are somewhat distorted due to being taken closeup. The proper perspectives are shown more accurately in the documentation. Side view. Right side view. Frontal view. Documentation.
Dr. Robert S. Bianchi is a renowned author and art curator. See Bianchi 1 and Bianchi 2 for details and biography.
Provenance: A Swiss collection in the 1970s and came to the U.S. then. Current owner purchased it from the collection in 2010.
BRONZE
12984. BRONZE FIGURE OF THE LION-HEADED GOD MAAHES. Egypt, Late Period, c. 675-630 BC. The figure wearing the typical Pharaonic kilt and headdress and standing with arms at sides, left leg striding forward. Height 5.5 inches, 7 inches on custom marble stand. Intact with no repair or restoration and an excellent patina.
Provenance: From a major US collection of Egyptian art, with French Export Permit dated 12/01/2011. Judging from the very old style custom marble stand this piece is most probably originally from a 19th or early 20th century collection. Left side. Right side. Back view.
SCARABS
FAIENCE
6663. A LARGE EGYPTIAN SHABTI, 26th Dynasty. Especially large example with good detail & heiroglyphics. 7.5". On custom stand.
8661. A FINE AND RARE FAIENCE AMULET. Egypto-Phoenician or Etruscan, ca. mid to late 1st millennium BC. The pale turquoise faience amulet molded with a truly exceptional head of Bes or Silenos. 22 mm. Choice condition and excessively rare. Molded lateral suspension hole above ears.
8659. AN EXCEPTIONAL FAIENCE AMULET OF HATHOR. Egypt, Late Period, ca. 716-30 BC. The amulet of light turquoise faience finely molded both sides with the head of the cow-eared goddess. 7 x 24 x 31 mm. Suspension loop lost. Superb quality.
TERRA COTTA
EX CHRISTIE'S 7620. A CHOICE EGYPTIAN EROTIC TERRA COTTA. c. 2nd century AD. Molded terra cotta group representing a nude female wearing nothing but a fancy hairdo, her legs spread wide revealing her sex. 4.5 x 4.5 inches. Right lower leg missing. Very fine modeling with excellent sharp detail. A rare and desirable type. Museum quality. Ex. Christie's 1980.
8959. MUSEUM QUALITY ALEXANDRIAN DOUBLE 'FROG' LAMP, ca. 1st-4th century AD. The so called 'frog' lamps are so named by the general resemblance of the form to that of a frog. Only rarely such as in the present example do they also bear the figures of frogs, and this is the only double chambered example I've carried. 2.5 x 3.5 inches. Small knob handle lost, small hole in the side of spout. Very rare and charming example. Museum quality.
9585. FINE QUALITY EGYPTIAN TERRA COTTA FIGURE OF SERAPIS, ca. 3rd-1st century. BC. The bearded god wearing his characteristic modius (grain measure) headdress. 3.7 inches. Excellent detailing and style. On custom marble stand. Provenance: A private American collection. Purchased from a US antiquities dealer July, 1998.
IVORY
CARTONNAGE
