An Egyptian Limestone Block Statue of a Man, 3rd Intermediate Period, 1075-716 B.C.

VAT reduced rateUK: Greenford Park Warehouse

Lot Closed

December 7, 10:33 AM GMT

Estimate

10,000 - 15,000 GBP

Lot Details

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Description

Property from a Belgian Private Collection

An Egyptian Limestone Block Statue of a Man

3rd Intermediate Period, 1075-716 B.C.

seated on a rectangular base with his arms crossed on his knees and hands emerging from his enveloping cloak, and wearing a short beard and wide rounded wig falling to his shoulders, a rectangular pillar behind, his face with large eyes with incised tapering eyebrows and cosmetic lines.

Height 32 cm.

private collection, France (Hôtel Drouot, Olivier Coutau-Bégarie, Paris, July 1st, 1998, no. 74)
private Collection, Paris (Hôtel Drouot, Choppin de Janvry & Associés, June 6th, 2005, no. 50)
acquired by the present owner at the above sale

“Yes, wonderful things”. Egyptian Art from 3000-100 B.C., Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch, in collaboration with Claire Brown Art, London, 2022, cat. no. 41, illus.

The distinctive form of the Egyptian block statue first appeared in the Middle Kingdom and grew in popularity afterward. The large surface areas were particularly suitable for inscriptions, and the sturdy compact shape gave the statue permanence. In certain instances, they may have been intended as guardians of temple entrances. See for example the life-size granite block statue of the charioteer Merneptah,
Sotheby’s, New York, June 10th-11th, 1983, no. 30.