Lot no. 17
Egyptian Limestone Relief with the Figure of the God Hapi. Late-Ptolemaic Period, circa 664-30 B.C. A relief depicting the upper half of the Nile divinity facing right, sporting a slender beard with curved end, wearing a tripartite wig surmounted by a floral crown in the form of a clump of papyrus with bent buds, and an elaborate multi-strand beaded broad collar; the pendulous breast characteristic of this type of figure; with both upper arms angled right towards traces of a libation vase and possible stem of a lotus flower; traces of a vertical register line behind the figure’s head; mounted on a custom-made display stand. Cf. Arnold, D., Temples of the Last Pharaohs, New York/Oxford, 1999, pp.127–28, fig. 86, for a similar representation. 10.85 kg total, 38.5 cm high including stand (15 1/8 in.). [No Reserve] From the estate of the late designer Anthony Powell (1935-2021). This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12497-230640. Representations of fecundity figures can be traced from the Old Kingdom through to the Roman Period. These figures serve as divine embodiments of Egypt’s fertile productivity and are commonly depicted in series on the lower registers of temple walls, symbolising the fertility of each province. Historically, they have often been mistakenly referred to as the ‘Nile God’; however, the term Hapi, which sometimes identifies these figures, actually refers to the inundation rather than the River Nile itself, highlighting the source of Egypt’s fertility.
Pictures credits: Contact organization
Archaeology
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Catalog
03/04/2025
Offered by Timeline Auctions
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