A Bronze Figure of Nefertum, 26th/30th Dynasty, 664-343 B.C.

striding and holding the khepresh saber in his right hand, his left clenched hand by his side, and wearing a short striated kilt with central tab, braided beard, copper-inlaid cheekstraps, and striated tripartite wig with uraeus, his headdress composed of a lotus flower flanked by menats and surmounted by plumes, the lotus petals recessed for enamelling, a pendant loop behind, his face with silver-overlaid eyes and copper-inlaid eyebrows and cosmetic lines, the feet restored.

Captain E.G. Spencer-Churchill (1876-1964), MC, Northwick Park, acquired in Cairo in 1910 (Christie's, London, June 21st, 1965, no. 426)
private collection (Bonham's, London, April 26th, 2001, no. 175, illus.)

Allard Pierson Museum, Archeological Museum of the University of Amsterdam, November 17th, 2006 – March 25th, 2007

Objects for Eternity, Egyptian Antiquities from the W. Arnold Meijer Collection, Carol A.R. Andrews and Jacobus van Dijk, eds., Mainz, 2006, pp. 192-193, no. 3.15, illus.

proper right leg restored from mid-calf down, proper left leg restored from ankle down, surface somewhat worn and mottle overall and with minute pitting in back, mouth and tip of nose rubbed, head of uraeus fragmentary, four lotus flower tips chipped, others sightly abraded
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The author notes (Objects for Eternity, p. 193): "As the son of Ptah and Sakhmet, Nefertem formed part of the Triad of Memphis. As god of the lotus, Nefertem's cult was connected with that of Re and his cult centre at Heliopolis because of a version of the creation myth where the sun god first appeared in a lotus on the waters of the Primordial Ocean."

Edward George Spencer-Churchill was the son of Lord Edward Spencer-Churchill and Augusta Warburton, and first cousin of Winston Churchill . He was educated at Eton  and Magdalen College, Oxford .  Spencer - Churchill gained the rank of Captain in 1899 in the service of the Grenadier Guards , and fought in the Boer War between 1899 and 1901 and in the First World War between 1914 and 1918 . Wounded twice, he was decorated with the Croix de Guerre (avec Palmes)  in 1919.  He traveled widely, and wrote Tarpon Fishing in Mexico and Florida in 1906.

In 1912 Captain Spencer-Churchill became Lord of Harrow Manor when he inherited that estate and its huge art collection, which he further expanded into one of national importance.  At the time of his investiture he was left with two sets of death duties to pay, and  perhaps with this financial commitment in mind he proposed a development of relatively expensive houses around the  already-established Northwick Park Tennis and Social Club. Captain Spencer-Churchill died in 1964 at age 88. A number of his antiquities were acquired  by the British Museum, and the remainder sold in June 1965 at Christie's London, in a landmark sale of 551 lots which lasted three days.