Egyptian figure of an ibis
€1,160
available
Object number
AR3451
| Object: |
Egyptian figure of an ibis
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| Material: |
Bronze with reddish-brown and turquoise patina.
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| Period: |
Late Period of ancient Egypt. 26th to 31st dynasty, 664 BC to 332 BC. |
| Description: |
Naturalistic figure of an ibis. The bird's body and the neck with head are made separately from bronze and joined together. The neck is bent backwards in an S-shape, the head transitions directly into a long beak that is bent downwards. Only a few details are worked out, otherwise the bird is shown schematically. The ibis was the sacred bird of Thoth, god of wisdom and the scienes. |
| Dimensions: |
61mm high, 69mm long, 23mm wide. 73mm high including the modern acrylic glass base.
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| Condition: |
Very good condition. The body and head are wonderfully preserved. The front part of the feet is broken off and missing. The surface has been carefully cleaned and now has a brown patina. There are turquoise-coloured traces of corrosion on the underside of the body. A small hole on the underside is probably ancient and due to the production technique. The bird is glued to a modern acrylic base.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2023 from T. Schloessner, Germany. Previously in the German Steinbock family collection, built between 1920 and 1982 by the art historian R. Steinbock, mostly acquired on the German art market.
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| References: |
Cf. Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Ägyptische Sammlung acc. no. INV 758. Cf. Metropolitan Museum of Art, acc. no. 04.2.462. Cf. Museo Egizio Torino, acc.no. cat. 1015. Similar E. Brunner-Traut, H. Brunner, J. Zick-Nissen, Osiris Kreuz Halbmond, p. 34 and 36, no. 20. For a comparative piece on the art market, cf. Bonhams London, auction 26 April 2007, lot 149, sold for 1800 GBP (equivalent at the time to approximately 2450 EUR). |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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