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Rare Egyptian bronze figurine of Nehebkau

Price: on request
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Object number
AR3090-A2
Object: Egyptian bronze figurine of Nehebkau

Material: Casted bronze.

Period: Late Period of Ancient Egypt,
26th to 31st dynasty,
664 BC to 332 BC.

Description:    Egyptian figurine of the god Nehebkau. He stands in human form with a snake's head and a tripartite wig. The god is depicted striding forth, dressed only in a special short pleated kilt. A suspension loop at the neck enabled wearing the bronze as an amulet.

Background: Bronze figurines of this god are extremely rare. The specimen offered here certainly represents Nehebkau in his function in the world of the dead. According to ancient Egyptian mythology, he was the guardian of the entrance to the afterlife, and he was also one of the 42 assessors of the dead. His main place of worship was Herakleopolis Magna in the Faiyum. The probability is high that this bronze figurine comes from this region of Egypt.

Dimensions: 42mm high (originally approx. 50mm high when the legs and possibly a base were present).

Condition: Left leg, feet and possibly base broken off and missing. Otherwise in very good condition with some recognizable details. Cleaned a long time ago and patinated again over decades.

Provenance: Acquired by us in 2020 from the German family estate Stollenwerk. Inherited in 2015 from the German private collection of the archaeologist and artist Erich Charlier. He acquired his collection, including this piece, between 1950 and 1980 in Europe.
Mr. Charlier was known for his work as an artist and built a reputation in his home country. He had his studio in Hammer, a village in the Eifel region of Germany. The artist is immortalized in numerous church ornaments in the area. For his artistic work Mr. Charlier received the honorary prize of the municipality of Simmerath, as well as the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1994. Fossils and archaeological objects from his collection were or are on display in an exhibition in Hammer, together with typical hand drawings by Mr. Charlier, which he made for many archaeological pieces in his possession.

References: Cf. British Museum, acc. no. EA59386.
For a fully intact example on the art market, see Bonhams, London New Bond Street, "Antiquities" auction of 28 November 2019, lot 175, sold for GBP 2,550, equivalent to around EUR 3,000 at that time.

Authenticity: We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.