Lot 568
Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 30th Dynasties, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A haunting and beautifully preserved pair of Egyptian bronze eye inlays, created to endow a funerary figure with vision in eternity. Cast in bronze and modeled in a naturalistic almond shape, these elements were intended for insertion into a mummy sarcophagus or coffin mask, restoring the gaze of the deceased for the afterlife. Each eye is composed with layered materials of symbolic precision. The sclera are rendered in smooth white stone, carefully cut to fill the socket, while the irises and pupils are formed from deep blue stone, their color evoking vitality, rebirth, and divine protection. Set within the bronze framework, the contrast between green patinated metal, pale stone, and saturated blue creates a striking and immediately legible image of watchfulness. Size (both about the same): 2" L x 0.8" W (5.1 cm x 2 cm)
In Egyptian belief, the eyes were among the most potent features of the body. They allowed the deceased to see offerings, participate in rituals, and witness rebirth alongside the gods. Eye inlays such as these were integral to anthropoid coffins and sarcophagi during the Late Dynastic period, when emphasis on realism and material richness reached a high point in funerary art. Both intimate and powerful, this pair of inlays preserves the moment where craftsmanship, theology, and hope converged. Even removed from their original setting, they retain a compelling presence, silent witnesses to ancient beliefs about sight, identity, and eternal life.
Provenance: private London, United Kingdom collection;ex-Antiquarian collection, Oxford, England since 2000; ex-private French collection, France, 1980s
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#200934
- Condition: Small repair to elongated canthus of one eye; other eye intact. Both have expected surface wear with some nicks and abrasions commensurate with age. Otherwise, both have an excellent presentation with rich patina to bronze.
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