Lot 4
Ancient Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A compact and elegantly preserved sculptor's model carved from pale limestone, this ancient fragment bears the crisp relief of two major deities from the Egyptian pantheon: Osiris, Lord of the Dead and Afterlife, and Ptah, god of creation, craftsmen, and architects. Though modest in scale, the block crackles with sacred charge - an artifact not of finished grandeur, but of practice and preparation, likely used by artisans as a reference or teaching tool within a temple workshop. One broad face of the model presents Osiris in dignified profile, identifiable by the tall atef crown flanked by ostrich plumes and his signature false beard. He wears a finely rendered usekh collar and smooth, enveloping garment. His arms extend forward in a formal, frontal gesture that may suggest presentation, offering, or divine greeting. Size: 2.3" L x 1.5" W x 4.5" H (5.8 cm x 3.8 cm x 11.4 cm); 6.3" H (16 cm) on included custom stand.
On the adjoining side, turned at a crisp angle, appears Ptah, equally composed and powerfully still. He is distinguished by his snug, skullcap-like headdress and a short false beard, hallmarks of his iconography since the Old Kingdom. Like Osiris, he wears layered collar bands and a tightly wrapped shroud, embodying his role as cosmic artisan and patron of temple builders.
Such sculptor's models served dual roles in ancient Egypt - both as visual prototypes for repeating divine forms and as devotional objects in their own right. Their survival is rare, and their value lies in the immediacy of line and form, uncloaked by paint or polish. This piece, still bearing the tool marks and tactile rawness of its making, offers a glimpse into the sacred labor behind Egypt's enduring iconography.
Provenance: Collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired from a Los Angeles, California, USA gallery acquisition dates range from the late 1990s to 2005
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#194558
- Condition: Fragment as shown with chipping to verso and peripheries. Otherwise, impressively preserved with excellent detail.
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