Lot 3A
Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A rectangular funerary offering table with a central relief, hand-carved from a large slab of limestone. The body features a pair of low relief hes-vases with inverted piriform bodies and projecting discoid rims, and a central orb is perhaps indicative of an offering bowl. A narrow channel is carved at the top of the perimeter. The perimeter and lower body are presented with a lengthy hieroglyphic inscription that when translated reads, "God's father, prophet, Hem-Ka priest
prophet of
, prophet Montu?, god's father, prophet of
, Isis the great, prophet of Re-Horakhty
Min-Horus
, lady of the town of Tep-Ihu, giving bread, beer, oxen, fowl, wine, milk and every good and pure thing
Overseer of prophets, Pa-Wab." Hes-vases were used in purification, libation, and offering rituals - the hes-vase hieroglyph translates as "praise" or "to favor" - and their likeness in this example suggests this table was used for offerings of precious oils or other liquids. Size: 10.25" W x 14.75" H (26 cm x 37.5 cm)
For an example of a hes-vase with a strikingly similar profile as those in the central relief, please see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 35.3.24.
A stylistically similar example of an offering table, of a slightly larger form and from the Middle Kingdom period, hammered for $50,000 at Christie's, New York "Antiquities" auction (sale 2007, June 4, 2008, lot 3).
Provenance: private J.H. collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA; ex-Explorer Ancient Art, New York, USA; ex-Royal-Athena Gallery, New York, USA and London, UK; ex-private UN diplomat P.A. collection, purchased in Egypt 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.
#149648
- Condition: Professionally repaired from roughly twelve pieces, with resurfacing along obverse break lines, and chipping and light adhesive residue to those on verso. Losses to areas of periphery, perimeter, hes-vases, and verso as shown. Nicks and fading to some raised details and inscribed hieroglyphs, with light encrustations. Nice earthen deposits throughout, and many hieroglyphs still legible.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Shipping
Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 24.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |