Lot 149
Ancient Egypt, Third Intermediate to Late Dynastic Period, 21st to 31st Dynasty, ca. 1070 to 332 BCE. A mold-formed faience ibis amulet exhibiting a lengthy, curved beak, a plump body, and a pair of slender legs tucked beneath. The graceful bird lays atop an integral rectangular plinth whilst the entire composition is covered in lustrous layers of blue glaze. Size: 0.8" L x 0.24" W x 0.58" H (2 cm x 0.6 cm x 1.5 cm)
The ibis, an elegant, long-legged wading bird that lives along the shores of the Nile, was associated with the ibis-headed Thoth - god of mathematics, writing, intellectual pursuits, and wisdom - as well as with the sage and god of architecture Imhotep in later periods. The ancient Egyptians believed that worshipping Thoth necessitated the ritual sacrifice and mummification of millions of ibises to be displayed in underground galleries, many of which have been excavated at Saqqara, near Memphis, Egypt's ancient capital. Saqqara was a temple complex with a large system of underlying catacombs. This piece was likely a votive zoomorph created to be placed inside a tomb, and the blue glass body is perhaps representative of the life-giving and life-restoring waters of the sacred Nile River.
Exhibited at the Drexel Museum, Philadelphia, 1895 to 1914; with the Drexel Institute Collection, Minneapolis Museum of Art, 1915 to 1958, ref. no. 16.60-; at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) from 1986 to 1991; in the University of Arizona Museum of Art, October 1993 to December 1993; and in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), California State University, San Bernardino from 1996 to 2023
Provenance: Collection of Dr. W. Benson Harer, Los Angeles, California, USA; ex-Emil Brugsch Collection, curator of the Bulaq Museum, Cairo, Egypt; Exhibited at the Drexel Museum, Philadelphia, 1895 to 1914; with the Drexel Institute Collection, Minneapolis Institute of Art, 1915 to 1958, ref. no. 16.6--; at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) from 1986 to 1991; in the University of Arizona Museum of Art, October 1993 to December 1993; and in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), California State University, San Bernardino from 1996 to 2023
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#182305
- Condition: Minor darkening and chipping to glaze pigment, with light earthen deposits, otherwise intact and excellent. Great preservation to finer details. Old museum number handwritten on base is worn.
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