Ancient Sculpture and Works of Art Part I
Ancient Sculpture and Works of Art Part I
Property from a Private Collection
An Egyptian Basalt Figure of the Customs Chief Wahibre, Reign of Amasis, 570-526 B.C.
Auction Closed
December 7, 04:32 PM GMT
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from a Private Collection
An Egyptian Basalt Figure of the Customs Chief Wahibre
Reign of Amasis, 570-526 B.C.
kneeling on an integral base, wearing a broad rounded wig, and holding a fragmentary offering basin before him, the back pillar engraved with a column of hieroglyphic inscription translating "the count, the overseer to the entrance to the hill countries, the chief supervisor of the shrines [of Neith], Wahibre, the son of Paeftchawy," the top of the basin's rim inscribed with a ritual formula to be read during the offering of the basin's contents.
Height 40 cm.
European private collection since the mid 19th Century
Christie's, New York, June 8th, 2001, no. 114, illus.
Drouot-Richelieu, Paris, Boisgirard, February 14th, 2005, no. 313, illus.
European private collection, acquired at the above sale
by descent to the current owners
The customs official represented here, Wahibre, son of Paeftchawy, is known from fourteen other statues, including a block statue in Paris (Louvre, A 91: https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010018089#fullscreen) and a kneeling naophorous figure in London (British Museum, EA 111: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA111). A fragment from his mummiform sarcophagus was found at el-Hagar, on the territory of his native city of Sais. The various titles inscribed on his monuments refer to his priestly functions, but also to his administrative and military responsibilities in southern Egypt, where he was chief customs officer and led the contingent of foreign troops protecting the frontier.
Two large fragments, including one carved with the head of Hathor in front, were identified by O. Perdu as originating from the same basin as the present example. Both of them are inscribed on top of the rim. They were on the European art market in 1995 (O. Perdu, op. cit, 2011, p. 167, note 17) and are now in a private collection.
For a complete and earlier (New Kingdom) libation basin with kneeling figure on one side and head of Hathor on the other see the example at Glencairn: https://glencairnmuseum.org/newsletter/2017/7/19/egyptian-libation-bowl-at-glencairn-museum.