Lot 12
  • 12

An Egyptian Red Jasper Inlay of a King or God, 19th/22st Dynasty, circa 1290-850 B.C.

Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 USD
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Description

  • An Egyptian Red Jasper Inlay of a King or God
  • Height 1 1/2 in. 3.9 cm.
facing left, with finely outlined lips, slightly aquiline nose, and carefully formed ear with indented earlobe and circular recess in the center, the large almond shaped eye and long recessed eyebrow and cosmetic line formerly inlaid with a separate precious material.

Provenance

Sotheby's, London, July 13th, 1981, no. 157, illus.
Sotheby's, London, July 10th-11th, 1989, no. 105, illus.

Condition

Excellent overall, a tiny chip on the profile above the bridge of the nose, another chip above the end of the eyebrow and inside the upper eye (both clearly visible in the photo), and a chip at the base of the neck.
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.

Catalogue Note

For comparable royal face inlays in red jasper cf. W.S. Smith , Ancient Egypt: as Represented in The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, 1960, p.143, fig. 93, (probably King Sety I), S. Spurr, N. Reeves, and S. Quirke, Egyptian Art at Eton College, Selections from the Myers Museum, Windsor and New York, 1999, p.42, no. 61, (with the features of Sety I), and the inlay formerly in the collection of Howard Carter, Sotheby's, London, July 15th, 1980, no. 347.  Inlays such as the present example served as ornaments for "shrines and funerary equipment as well as luxurious furniture for the living. The throne chair of Tutankhamen, for example, is inlaid in glass and faience in addition to more precious materials." (Elizabeth Riefstahl, Ancient Glass and Glazes in The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1968, p.110, no.75)