Egyptian faience statuette of Taweret
€22,500
available
Object number
AR3250
| Object: |
Egyptian faience statuette of Taweret
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| Material: |
Green faience.
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| Period: |
Late Period of Ancient Egypt, 26th to 31st dynasty, 664 BC to 332 BC. |
| Description: |
Faience figurine of the goddess Taweret as a pregnant hippopotamus standing upright. However, the legs are reminiscent of a lioness, the back of a crocodile's tail, and the breasts of a nursing woman. A tripartite wig sits on the head, on top of it a wreath surrounded by uraeus snakes. In front of the legs is the sa sign. The statuette of the hippopotamus goddess is of superior quality and great detail. This Taweret type is also relatively large for ancient Egyptian faience figurines. All together a work of art worthy of display in a major museum or world-class collection. |
| Background: |
A crown of poison-spitting cobras on the head, a hippopotamus face almost like a lioness, and the hieroglyph Sa, which stands for protection. It cannot be made clearer that this statuette wards off evil and gives protection. In ancient Egypt, the goddess Taweret was the protective goddess for pregnant women. She is also referred to by the names Taueret or Toeris. The representation offered here is a prime example for this type of figurine. The hippopotamus goddess was worshiped especially in Deir el-Medina, in Abu Simbel and in Gebel es-Sisile. It is quite possible that the specimen presented here also comes from one of these main cult sites. We hope she was successful in keeping away the demons from her previous owners, seen by the ancient Egyptians as the cause of the high infant mortality. |
| Dimensions: |
87mm high. 25mm wide. 33mm deep. 118mm high including modern bases.
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| Condition: |
A fine specimen. The body is preserved in all details. There is a sharp break line at knee height. Here the figurine has been restored unobstrusively. Depending on the light the break line can be seen. It can be faintly determined in the photos. The faience figurine is glued to a modern, black lacquered wooden base, which in turn is glued to an acrylic base. Overall, the figurine impresses with its condition and high artistic quality.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2021 on the German art market. Previously in the German private collection U. H. Acquired at Christie's London, auction 11 December 1987, lot 197. Previously in the German private collection Wilhelm Horn (1870-1959), collection no. 139. Mr. Horn, a Berlin based banker, traveled to Egypt several times between 1926 and 1938 and acquired numerous objects for his collection there. This is also the likely source for this faience figure. Many pieces of his collection were loaned to important museums during his lifetime. They were finally given back into the art market by his heirs in the aforementioned 1987 auction, to spark passion for anicent art in a new generation.
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| References: |
Cf. Metropolitan Museum of Art, acc. no. 04.2.365.
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| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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