An Egyptian Green Peridotite Head of a Man, late 18th/ early 19th Dynasty, probably Reign of Horemhab, 1319-1292 B.C.

wearing a ribbed double wig with echeloned curls in front and lobed bands radiating from the crown, striated curls framing the forehead, his broad face with full outlined lips, straight nose, almond-shaped eyes with pronounced upper lids and delicate incised folds, and long tapering contoured eyebrows in relief.

Ashburnham Collection, probably Lord Bertram Ashburnham (1797-1878), Viscount St. Asaph and 4th Earl Ashburnham, or a descendant
The Trustees of the Ashburnham Settled Estates and the Executors of Lady Catherine Ashburnham (Sotheby's, London, June 8th, 1953, no. 17)
Spink & Son, Ltd., London
Denys Sutton (1917-1991), London, acquired from the above on August 31st, 1962
by descent to the present owner

Country Life, vol. CXXXII[3411], July 19th, 1962, supplement, p. 27
Jaromir Malek, with Diana Magee and Elizabeth Miles, Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Statues, Reliefs, and Paintings, vol. VIII, Oxford, 1999, no. 801-654-010.

Very good and as shown in the catalogue photos: note damage to nose, slight wear to the mouth, and minor nicks.
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.

For peridotite and its use see Tom Hardwick, “Golden Hawk, Crocodile, Atum, and Lion”, Sitting Beside Lepsius: Studies in Honour of Jaromir Malek at the Griffith Institute, Louvain, 2009, pp. 183-188.  He writes (p. 186) that the “only known source of the stone is St. John’s Island in the Red Sea, near the port of Berenike and on the same latitude as Aswan,” and notes that the “early New Kingdom is the time when peridotite sculpture is the most popular..., the sculptures decreas[ing] in size throughout the New Kingdom, and that the earlier sculptures are made from the greenest stone; the later statues are made from a stone with many brown inclusions. The private statues are of very high artistic quality, but also use a less green stone than contemporary royal pieces. This suggests that the stone was a royal  monopoly, that the most desirable shade of stone was dark green, [and] that this colour was reserved first for royal use...".

Denys Miller Sutton (1917-1991) assumed the role of editor of the London-based arts magazine Apollo in 1962, and retained this position for about 25 years, during which he considerably expanded the scope of the publication, addressing sensitive art preservation issues, attracting new contributors among prominent art historians and writers, writing many articles himself, and devoting several issues to the collections of museums around the world. His strong and unrelenting interest in the visual arts was a lifelong pursuit: he served as secretary of the international commission for the restitution of cultural material after World War II, worked as an art critic for Country Life and the Financial Times, authored several books on painting, including works on Watteau, Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse, Picasso, and Whistler, and organized several exhibitions abroad such as shows on Constable and Titian in Tokyo. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (vol. 53, Oxford, 2003, p. 382) describes him as an "astute collector of art."