Lot 3A
Ancient Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, 21st to 25th Dynasty, ca. 1070 to 664 BCE. An adorable quartz amulet, carefully hand-carved in the form of a standing hippopotamus with a plump body, short legs, and a harness around its round snout. Featuring elongated eyes, its huge head droops downwards from sizable haunches, while a slender tail extends from the posterior. Hippopotami were believed to be both malevolent and benevolent creatures, and their association with fertility suggests this pendant was bound to the linen wrappings of a mummy to ensure resurrection and rebirth in the afterlife. An extremely scarce zoomorphic example from ancient Egypt! Size: 1.48" L x 0.63" W x 0.95" H (3.8 cm x 1.6 cm x 2.4 cm)
According to Egyptologist Dorothea Arnold, "The hippopotamus, Hippopotamus amphibius, must have been very common in Egypt during the earlier periods, but man's hunting pursuits and ever-increasing encroachment on the hippo's wetland environment gradually reduced the number of these magnificent beasts. The last wild hippos were seen in Egypt in the first half of the nineteenth century. The Egyptians were well aware of the phenomenal strength of the hippopotamus
[though] The awe inspired by an animal that could devastate a farmer's field overnight was tempered by the Egyptians' belief in the animal's revitalizing power. As a creature from the fertile mud, the hippo embodied divine powers guaranteeing rebirth. One might recognize this benevolent aspect of the beast in the friendly faces of many hippo figures." (Arnold, Dorothea. "An Egyptian Bestiary." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Spring 1995, Vol. LII, no. 4, p. 33)
A similar Egyptian hippopotamus pendant made of chalcedony was sold for 12,500 British pounds sterling (about $14,996) by Bonham's London on May 1st, 2013 (lot 293).
Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
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#175428
- Condition: Damage to suspension loop, with light abrasions and nicks, otherwise in excellent condition. Great preservation to zoomorphic form.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |