A Monumental Granite Head of King Nectanebo II, 30th Dynasty, reign of Nectanebo II, 360-342 B.C.

probably from a sphinx, wearing the nemes-headcloth.

"Some Italian gentlemen travelling to the Pyramids in Egypt, discovered it there, and brought it with them" (Kennedy, Op. cit., 1769, p. XXI)
Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke, 1656-1733, Wilton House, Wiltshire
Henry, 9th Earl of Pembroke, 1693-1749
Henry, 10th Earl of Pembroke, 1734-1794
George Augustus, 11th Earl of Pembroke, 1759-1827
Robert Henry, 12th Earl of Pembroke, 1791-1862
George Robert Charles, 13th Earl of Pembroke, 1850-1895
Sidney, 14th Earl of Pembroke, 1853-1913
Reginald, 15th Earl of Pembroke, 1880-1960
Sidney Charles, 16th Earl of Pembroke, 1906-1969 (Christie's, Wilton House, A Selected Portion of the Collection of Ancient Marbles formed by Thomas 8th Earl of Pembroke, July 3rd, 1961, no. 100, illus. between pp. 20 and 21; acquired by Mrs Roothoote for 650 gns.)
Christie's, London, December 10th, 1986, no. 186, illus.

"A Copy of ye Book of Antiquities at Wilton," manuscript, circa 1730, 1st Division: Egyptian (British Library, MS 1018)
Richard Cowdry, A Description of the Pictures, Statues, Busto's, Basso-relievo's, and other Curiosities at the Earl of Pembroke's House at Wilton, London, 1751, p. 116
Thomas Martyn, The English Connoisseur: Containing an Account of Whatever is Curious in Painting, Sculpture, &c, in the Palaces and Seats of the Nobility and Principal Gentry of England both in Town and Country, Dublin, 1766, vol. I p. 192
James Kennedy, A description of the Antiquities and Curiosities in Wilton House, Salisbury, 1769, pp. XXI and 108
George Richardson, Aedes Pembrochianae: or a critical account of the statues, bustos, relievos, paintings, medals, and other curiosities and antiquities at Wilton House, London, 1774, p. 112 of 1798 edition
John Wolcot, The Works of Peter Pindar, vol. II, London, 1812, p. 483
S.H. Spiker, Travels through England, Wales & Scotland in the Year 1816, London, 1820, p. 150
John Bull, Thomas Hood, and Charles Lamb, The Laughing Philosopher: Being the Entire Works of Momus, Jester of Olympus, London, 1825, p. 456
Charles T. Newton, "Notes on the Sculptures at Wilton House," in Memoirs Illustrative of the History and Antiquities of Wiltshire and the City of Salisbury, London, 1851, p. 260, no. 99
James Smith and Walter F. Tiffin, Wilton and its Associations, Salisbury and London, 1851, p. 181, no. 99
Adolf Michaelis, Ancient Marbles in Great Britain, Cambridge, 1882, p. 690, no. 99
A. Blackwood, "Peter Pindar: A Famous Writer Neglected - The Man and his Work," The New York Times, October 7th, 1899, Saturday Review of Books and Arts, Page BR676
James Parton, The Humorous Poetry of the English Language, from Chaucer to Saxe, Boston and New York, 1900, p. 225
Nevile Rodwell Wilkinson, Wilton House Guide: A Handbook for Visitors, London, 1908, p. 15, no. 99
Lewis Saul Benjamin and Lewis Melville, Some Eccentrics & a Woman, 1911, p. 118
"Sculptures to be auctioned...," The Times, June 13th, 1961, p. 22, col. A, illus.
"Christie's sell Lord Pembroke's Marbles," The Times, July 4th, 1961, p. 12, col. G
Jack Josephson, Egyptian Royal Sculpture of the Late Period, 400-246 B.C. (Deutsches Archäologisches Institut. Abteilung Kairo. Sonderschrift 30), Mainz am Rhein, 1997, p. 26, pl. 9c
Jaromir Malek, Diana Magee, and Elizabeth Miles, Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Statues, Reliefs, and Paintings, vol. VIII, Oxford, 1999, p. 165, no. 800-872-500
Jonathan Scott, The Pleasures of Antiquity: British Collectors of Greece and Rome, New Haven, 2003, fig. 205
Tim Knox, "The Vyne Ramesses: 'Egyptian Monstrosities' in British Country House Collections," Apollo, April 2003

Chin and minor chips on eyelids restored, nemes headcloth preserved only above the ears, modern material over nose break probably conceals flat surface and dowel hole meant to receive formerly restored nose, minor chips and abrasions overall, entire surface of head appears to have been waxed
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.

At Wilton House the present head was known as a portrait of Sesostris and displayed in the Stone Hall, together with a portrait of Domitian and the supposed likenesses of several Roman empresses or female members of the Imperial family. In the circa 1730 manuscript entitled "A Copy of ye Book of Antiquities at Wilton" it is described as "Sesostris; The Head is of red Egyptian Granite; The Bust Part is of the white Egyptian Granite of the very old Termini manner; The Head is adorn'd with a Tiara peculiar from any other, as Egyptian; and it has a peculiar Liveliness from any other Sculpture– it was found amongst the Pyramids." In Cowdry's 1751 description of Wilton's art collections the head is mentioned as being located in the Stone Hall on a bust made of "white Egyptian granite" itself resting "upon a very antient altar of Bacchus;" this cylindrical Neo-Attic marble altar with Dionysiac relief decoration is still at Wilton (inv. no. 1963,10) and is now located in the Cloisters, where Michaelis already saw it in 1873 and 1877 (op. cit., p. 672, no. 1). In Kennedy's 1769 description the same bust is said to be still in the Stone Hall but resting on a Roman marble sarcophagus with portrait medallion in front (Michaelis, op. cit., p. 702, no. 143), also still at Wilton and now in the Inner Courtyard (inv. no. 1963,26.2). In 1816 Spiker saw the head displayed on yet another type of  support: "A colossal head of Sesostris, in the style of the Egyptian idols, the pedestal highly singular, in the form of a right angled triangle" (probably the marble pedestal of triangular section partially illustrated in the 1961 sale catalogue plate). When Michaelis visited Wilton the head had already been moved to the Cloisters with most of the other antiquities.

An early 19th Century poem, which satirizes King George III's visit to Wilton House, mentions the present head as the object of a comical misunderstanding:

From Salisbury Church to Wilton House, so grand,
Return'd the mighty Ruler of the Land. "
My Lord, you've got fine Statues," said the King. — "
A few, beneath your Royal notice, Sir,"
Replied Lord Pembroke. — " Stir, my Lord, stir, stir ;
Let's see them all, all, all, all, every thing. "

Who's this ? who's this ? who's this fine fellow here?"— "
Sesostris," bowing low, replied the Peer. — "
Sir Sostris, hey ? Sir Sostris ? 'pon my word !
Knight or a Baronet, my Lord ?
One of my making? what, my Lord? my making?" —
This, with a vengeance, was mistaking! " –

Sesostris, Sire," so soft, the Peer replied ; "
A famous King of Egypt, Sir, of old." — "
Poh, poh ! " th' instructed Monarch snappish cried, "
I need not that, I need not that, be told. "

     John Wolcot, The Works of Peter Pindar, vol. II, London, 1812, p. 483

The only other Egyptian sculpture at Wilton House was a kneeling naophorous statue from the Mazarin Collection; it is now in the Musée du Louvre (see A. Roullet, The Egyptian and Egyptianizing Monuments of Imperial Rome, Leiden, 1972, pp. 113-114, no. 195, figs. 223-224).