Lot 3B
Egypt, Late Dynastic to Ptolemaic period, ca. 664 to 30 BCE. An impressive leaded bronze pectoral fragment displaying a bull-headed aegis and an uraeus. To the left, the bovine head is mounted on a collar to form an aegis, all surmounted by a sun disc between rising horns and a pair of projecting petaloid ears. An uraeus is shown to the right; only is collared head and upper body shown but also surmounted by a sun disc and horns. This pectoral belongs to a group that seems to be associated with the sacred Apis bull and the Mother of Apis cow; some of the bovines, although not this one, actually bear the triangular forehead marking of the Apis, although the crown worn is usually associated with a female goddess. A scholar has noted that the association of the frontal image and the structure suggest an event in the life of the Apis or the Mother of Apis. Size: 1.2" W x 1.1" H (3 cm x 2.8 cm)
The appearance of the head as part of an aegis - more common among but not restricted to goddesses - might suggest a new Mother of Apis, assimilated to Isis, appearing for veneration at the time a new steer was installed.
According to author Manfred Lurker, vice-chairman of the Research Circle for Symbolism in Salzburg, Germany, The imprecise term 'aegis' refers to a collar-like necklace which was regarded as a symbol of protection. In the Book of the Dead there is a spell for the 'collar of gold which is placed around the neck of the transfigured spirit on the day of burial'. These collars are often decorated with the head of a falcon or a uraeus. The placing in position of the collar is a symbolic expression for being encompassed by the arms of the god . . . Jewellery collars with the head of a god or goddess are also called an aegis. On the lids of mummy cases and stone sarcophagi instead of a collar there can appear a representation of a vulture with outstretched wings which has the same meaning; the sarcophagus of Tuthmosis I is an example." (Lurker, Manfred. "The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Egypt: An Illustrated Dictionary." Thames & Hudson, London, 1986, p. 24)
Exhibited in the Lily Place Collection, Minneapolis Institute of Art, from 1925 to 1958, ref. no. 25.163; and in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), California State University, San Bernardino from 1996 to 2023.
For a complete pectoral of this form, please see the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 59.83.
Provenance: Collection of Dr. W. Benson Harer, Los Angeles, California, USA; Exhibited in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), California State University, San Bernardino from 1996 to 2023; ex-L. Blumka collection, 1958; ex-Minneapolis Institute of Art, 1925, a gift from the Lily Place collection, ref. no. 25.163; ex-Cairo Suq, Cairo, Egypt
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#182374
- Condition: Fragment of a larger piece with chipping and small losses to peripheries. Heavy weathering as shown with nicks and abrasions. Liberal remaining detail and rich patina throughout.
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