Egyptian sarcophagus mask with beard
Price: on request
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Object number
AR3284
| Object: |
Egyptian sarcophagus mask with beard.
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| Material: |
Wood with base coat and paint.
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| Period: |
Late Period of Ancient Egypt, 26th to 31st dynasty, 664 BC to 332 BC. |
| Description: |
The Egyptian sarcophagus mask is a wooden relief showing a frontal view of an idealized face. The face is colored, painted on a layer of base coat. The pupils and brows are painted in black. A long fake beard is prominently attached to the chin, painted with a linear decor in yellow or gold. The rear is flat and was once attached to the sarcophagus. The face was integrated in the overall design of the sarcophagus lid. The head dress was surely once formed out of stucco and applied above the mask. Since a few centuries, Egyptian sarcophagus masks are extremly popular in Ancient Egypt collections. The life like appearance of the faces are fascinating and like a looking glass into the past. |
| Dimensions: |
43cm long, 22cm wide, 10cm high.
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| Condition: |
The wood is in very good preservation. The surface preserved in large parts, peeled off in other parts. The original painting of the eyes and beard has been preserved. Overall good condition even without recent restoration. On the back modern wall hanging made of two nails and ribbon.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2022 from Thorsden Schloessner, Germany. To him in 2020 from the German family collection Schuell. Acquired for the family before 1955, possibly from the German collection Gahl-Schoeller. This object has been searched for in the database of Art Loss, comprising more than 500,000 objects claimed stolen or lost. It also integrates the databases of Interpol and FBI. An Art Loss certificate comes with this artefact. |
| References: |
For a similar piece on the art market see Christie's London auction 25 October 2012 "Antiquities", lot 59, sold for 7,500 GBP or approximately 9,500 EUR at that time.
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| Literature: |
S. Walker, M. Bierbrier: Ancient Faces, Mummy Portraits from Roman Egypt (Part IV of the Catalogue of Roman Portraits in the British Museum).
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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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