Lot 5
Ancient Egypt, Late Dynastic to Ptolemaic Period, ca. 664 to 30 BCE. A mold-formed faience amulet of rare form depicting a sphinx - a mythological human-headed lion - seated upon wide haunches atop an integral rectangular plinth. Known as a fierce and merciless guardian, this petite figure features a child-like visage with enormous eyes, and atop the head is a series of dark lobes, perhaps a coiffure or a scarab resting atop the pate. Covered in turquoise-hued glaze, this is a rare and enigmatic artifact from ancient Egypt! Size: 0.65" L x 0.30" W x 0.90" H (1.7 cm x 0.8 cm x 2.3 cm)
According to Egyptian scholar Jaromir Malek, "The lion had been from the earliest Egyptian history associated with the concept of guardianship, and so representations of these animals or of sphinxes (hybrid forms which combine the lion's body with a human head) are often found in the vicinity of doorways and entrances to temples and palaces. The Great Sphinx which protects the approach to the pyramid-complex of King Khafra (2518 - 2493 BC) at Giza is the best example." (Malek, Jaromir. "The Cat in Ancient Egypt." University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 2006, p. 88)
Exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) from 1986 to 1991; in the University of Arizona Museum of Art, October 1993 to December 1993; and in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), California State University, San Bernardino from 1996 to 2023, reference number EL01.293.1996.
Published in Dr. Gerry D. Scott III. "Temple, Tomb and Dwelling: Egyptian Antiquities from the Harer Family Trust Collection." University of California Press, 1992, pp. 186-187, fig. 134c.
Provenance: Collection of Dr. W. Benson Harer, Los Angeles, California, USA; Exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) from 1986 to 1991; in the University of Arizona Museum of Art, October 1993 to December 1993; and in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA), California State University, San Bernardino from 1996 to 2023, reference number EL01.293.1996; Published in "Temple, Tomb, and Dwelling", fig. 134c
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#182204
- Condition: Minor abrasions, with darkening/staining to glaze in scattered areas, small pressure fissures along proper left side of neck and suspension loop, and softening to some finer details, otherwise intact and excellent. Great preservation to glaze pigment throughout.
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