Lot no. 402
EGYPTIAN LIMESTONE RELIEF DEPICTING A SACRED BULL New Kingdom, likely Ramesside Period, circa 1292–1075 B.C.. A carved in sunk relief on a finely dressed limestone slab, the fragment preserves the head of a sacred bull, possibly a representation of the Apis bull depicted in right-facing profile. The animal’s eye is meticulously incised with extended cosmetic lines, the snout gently tapering, and the features rendered with expressive clarity. The prominent forward-curving horn and the ribbed ceremonial harness across the chest confirm its identity as a divinely sanctioned creature. The stone retains excellent legibility of line, with minor weathering and losses to the upper and left edges, consistent with excavation and prolonged burial. For similar see: P. Giovecchi, D. Picchi, 2015, Egitto, splendore millenario, lacollezione di Leiden a Bologna, V.39, p. 276. Size: 250mm x 155mm; Weight: 3.28kg Provenance: Property of an Oxfordshire art professional; previously in an old Canadian collection of F. N., Ontario, formed in the 1980s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. This piece is accompanied by an authentication report by Simone Musso, consultant curator for Egyptian antiquities at the Stibbert Museum, Florence, Italy, member of the Nuri Archaeological Expedition.
Pictures credits: Contact organization
Antique art and decorative objects
About the sale
Live
ANCIENT ART & ANTIQUITIES - DAY 2
0 London - United Kingdom
04/27/2025
Offered by Apollo Art Auctions
0044 7424 994167