Lot 569
Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 30th Dynasties, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A compelling pair of ancient eyes, once set into the face of a mummy sarcophagus to restore vision, presence, and divine vitality. Cast in bronze and richly inlaid, these elements remind us that in ancient Egypt, seeing was never passive - it was an act charged with power, protection, and permanence. Each eye is formed within a slender bronze framework shaped to follow the curve of the human eyelid, accompanied by matching arched eyebrows rendered as separate bronze strips. The sclerae are inlaid with white limestone, softly worn and faintly translucent with age. At the center, circular irises of brown or black stone anchor the gaze, each punctuated by a vivid blue glass pupil that still flashes with startling intensity. The careful layering of materials creates a striking naturalism, balanced by the stylized clarity typical of Egyptian funerary art. Size of eye (both about the same): 2.6" L x 1" W (6.6 cm x 2.5 cm); of eyebrow (both about the same): 2.9" L x 0.3" W (7.4 cm x 0.8 cm)
Inlaid eyes such as these were commonly affixed to wooden mummy coffins and sarcophagi during the Late Period, where they served both decorative and ritual purposes. The eyes enabled the deceased to see into the world of the living and the afterlife alike, a concept deeply tied to rebirth, protection, and the enduring power of the Eye of Horus. By furnishing a coffin with eyes made from resilient materials, artisans ensured the eternal vigilance and spiritual agency of the individual within.
The bronze surfaces display areas of green patination, framing the pale limestone and dark stone with a palette shaped by time and burial. Together, this matched lot of eyes and brows offers a rare, intimate glimpse into the technical sophistication and symbolic imagination of Late Period Egyptian funerary practice - fragments that once animated a sarcophagus, and through it, the eternal identity of the deceased.
Provenance: private London, United Kingdom collection;ex-Antiquarian collection, Oxford, England since 2000; ex-private French collection, France, 1980s
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#200935
- Condition: Weathering with nicks and abrasions to surface, but, otherwise all are intact and excellent with rich patina and encrustations in recessed areas.
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