STATUETTE OF KHNOUM BELIER Bronze with dark green patina. H. 9.5 cm Egypt, Roman period, 1st century BC - 1st century AD Provenance Drouot, Delestre et Leman, Antiquities, 21 February 1905, lot 71 Former Hilary Gerrard Collection(1933-2023,Monaco) ex manager of Ringo Starr Published REINACH S., Répertoire de la statue Grecque et Romaine, Tome IV, 1910, p.512, n°3 An exceptional bronze votive statuette representing the god Khnum in the animal form of a sacred ram, wearing the atef crown. This piece testifies to the vitality of traditional Egyptian cults during the Roman period and the remarkable quality of late bronze production. The ram is shown standing with its legs firmly planted (some fragmentary). The animal has the characteristic anatomy of the ram Ovis longipes palaeoaegyptiacus, a breed with long horizontal spiral horns specifically associated with Khnum: slender, muscular body, slender legs, arched neck proudly bearing the crowned head. The head is the main iconographic feature. The elongated muzzle, almond-shaped eyes and erect ears are naturalistically modelled. The horizontal, spiralling horns, a distinctive feature of Khnum as opposed to the coiled horns of Amun's ram, are elegantly deployed laterally. The wavy beard, finely chiselled under the chin, lends dignity and divine majesty to the animal. The most spectacular feature is the atef crown on the head. This composite headdress, a royal and Osirid attribute, consists of a high central crown flanked by two stylised ostrich feathers on either side, all resting on horizontal horns. The volume modelling of this complex crown bears witness to remarkable technical virtuosity in the lost-wax casting of small bronzes. The ram's body features a coat rendered by parallel incisions evoking a woolly fleece. The tail, short and raised, follows the stylistic conventions of Egyptian animal art. The hooves are delicately suggested by a slight widening of the tips of the legs. Khnum, the ram-headed creator god, played a central role in Egyptian theology. Master of the Elephantine cataract (on Egypt's southern border), he shaped human beings and their ka (spiritual double) on his potter's wheel from the primordial clay. As god of the Nile's springs, he controlled the fertilising annual flood, guaranteeing agricultural prosperity and life. The complete zoomorphic representation (a whole animal, not an anthropomorphic hybrid) underlines the divine essence of Khnum in his primordial form. The atef crown, associated with Osiris and divine royalty, establishes a link between Khnum and the cycle of death and rebirth, fertility and cosmic sovereignty. An Egyptian Roman Bronze Statuette of Khnum. 1st century BCE-1st century A.D. Exceptional votive statuette in bronze representing the god Khnum in his animal form as sacred ram, crowned with the atef crown. This piece bears witness to the vitality of traditional Egyptian cults during the Roman period and the remarkable quality of late bronze production. The ram is represented standing, legs firmly planted (some fragmentary). The animal displays the characteristic anatomy of the ram Ovis longipes palaeoaegyptiacus, a breed with long horizontal spiral horns specifically associated with Khnum: slender and muscular body, fine legs, arched neck proudly bearing the crowned head. The head constitutes the major iconographic element. The elongated muzzle, almond-shaped eyes, raised ears are modeled with naturalism. The horizontal spiral horns, distinctive attribute of Khnum as opposed to the curled horns of Amun's ram, deploy laterally with elegance. The undulating beard, finely chiseled beneath the chin, confers divine dignity and majesty upon the animal. The most spectacular element remains the atef crown surmounting the head. This composite headdress, a royal and Osirian attribute, comprises a high central crown flanked by two stylized lateral ostrich feathers, all resting upon horizontal horns. The volumetric modeling of this complex crown attests to remarkable technical virtuosity in the lost-wax casting of small bronzes. The ram's body displays fleece rendered by parallel incisions evoking woolly coat. The tail, short and raised, follows the stylistic conventions of Egyptian animal art. The hooves are delicately suggested by a slight enlargement at the extremities of the legs. Khnum, ram-headed creator god, occupied a central place in Egyptian theology. Master of the Elephantine cataract (Egypt's southern frontier), he fashioned human beings and their ka (spiritual double) on his potter's wheel from primordial clay. God of the Nile's sources, he controlled the annual fertilizing flood, guaranteeing agricultural prosperity and life. The complete zoomorphic representation (entire animal, not anthropomorphic hybrid) emphasises Khnum's divine essence in his primordial form. The atef crown, associated with Osiris and divine kingship, establishes a link between Khnum and the death-rebirth cycle, fertility and cosmic sovereignty.