MAGIC STELE Depicting a male figure in a kind of ouroboros, on a boat. He is holding a triangular instrument in his right hand. Inside, around him, a stylised crocodile and other animals (?). animals (?). Below the boat, waves reminiscent of the tumultuous waters of the Noun (?). At the top left, an architectural structure (temple?). At the top right, in several registers, a text. This iconography is reminiscent of the depictions of Horus as a child on Egyptian magic stelae. Here the figure seems to have mastered the elements and is fighting against evil forces. Grey stone. Restored. H.60 x L. 40 cm Egypt, Coptic art, 5th-8th century A Coptic grey stone magical relief. Depicting a male character in a sort of ouroboros, on a boat. He holds a triangular instrument in his right hand. Inside, around him, a stylized crocodile and other animals (?). Below the barue, waves reminiscent of the tumultuous waters of the Noun (?). Above, on the left, an architecture (temple?). At the top right on several registers, a text. This iconography is reminiscent of the representations of Horus as a child on Egyptian magical steles. Here the character seems to have mastered the elements and fight against evil forces. 5th-8th century A.D. Provenance Former Olga and Vincent Diniacopoulos collection, assembled between 1910-1932 and 1954 Sale Fragments of Times, 7/11/2001, lot 73 The Diniacopoulos family, Vincent and Olga Diniacopoulos, arrived in Montreal from Alexandria in 1951, bringing with them the largest private collection of antiquities known to Canada. The Diniacopoulos collection was one of the largest collections of antiquities in Canada. It included artefacts from the Western and Eastern Mediterranean - from Egypt and Syria to Greece, Italy and Cyprus. In 1998, Mrs Olga Diniacopoulos supervised the dispersal of the remains of the collection in order to raise funds for a major endowed scholarship at Concordia. Academic research into the remarkable contents of this collection continues. The Diniacopoulos family Vincent and Olga Diniacopoulos arrived in Montreal from Alexandria in 1951, bringing with them the largest private collection of antiquities known to Canada. The Diniacopoulos collection was one of the largest collections of antiques in Canada. Featuring artifacts from the Western and Eastern Mediterranean - from Egypt and Syria to Greece, Italy and Cyprus. In 1998, Mrs. Olga Diniacopoulos oversaw the dispersal of the remains of the collection to raise funds for a major scholarship endowment at Concordia. Academic research into the remarkable contents of this collection continues.