Lot 10
Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom period, Dynasties 18th to 20th, ca. 1549 to 1077 BCE. A splendid, mold-formed faience figure of Nefertem, god of perfumes and unguents, striding with his left leg presented atop an integral rectangular plinth and in front of a dorsal pillar. Nefertem dons a pleated royal kilt around his waist, with a braided beard and striated tripartite wig with accompanying frontal uraeus adorning his slender head. An ornate, lotus-form headdress stands atop the wig, with menets flanking either lateral side and surmounted by streaked plumes. Size: 0.8" L x 0.4" W x 2.2" H (2 cm x 1 cm x 5.6 cm)
The name "Nefertum" literally translates to "one who does not close," indicative of the ever-blooming lotus flower constituting his crown. It is fitting, then, that Nefertum is primarily associated with fine-smelling perfumes and other beauty-enhancing substances, perhaps as an allegorical reference to the sweet scent emitted by a blossoming lotus flower.
Interestingly, both the lotus flower and the demiurge Ptah are symbolically associated with the cycle of life, death, resurrection, and rebirth. This integral relationship is important with regards to Nefertum wearing a lotus flower crown, and posits a two-fold symbolic interpretation: that Nefertum himself as a deity will in essence never die; and that the cycle of life and death itself is an unceasing process (hence, "once who does not close").
Provenance: Collection of Dr. W. Benson Harer, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired before 2004; ex-Superior Galleries, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired in 1976; ex-collection of Philip Mitry, noted antiquarian, 1930 to 1953, then imported into the United States in 1952; ex-Anglo-American Bookstore, Cairo, Egypt, 1945-1950
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#190809
- Condition: Chip to headdress and age-expected surface wear as shown. Repainting in some areas, but otherwise, intact and very nice with good remaining detail.
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