Egypt
Old Textiles
2012 SOLD 275 K€ including premium
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
On June 1 in Paris, the auction house Pierre Bergé et Associés sells a clothing made in Upper Egypt 4,000 years ago,one of those objects that open the understanding of the history of civilization.
Of course, textiles are fragile materials not conducive to the preservation in high duration. However, we know now that the mastering of linen weaving occured several tens of thousands years ago. This achievement was as important as agriculture, settlement, domestication.
The linen tunic with sleeves and long skirt that is coming for sale is already a complex object. It consists of three elements sewn together and decorated with fringes. It was deliberately pleated, probably in response to the fashion of the time! Like many Egyptian objects, it is a funerary piece, excavated from the tomb of a dignitary of Meir 100 years ago.
The territorial organization of Egypt predated the Pharaohs, and the dynastic troubles had little effect on the succession of the governors of Meir. This tunic is a provincial piece, contemporary of the transition from Old Kingdom to Middle Kingdom.
This garment in very good condition is estimated € 250K.
POST SALE COMMENT
This piece more historic than artistic was not necessarily easy to sell. The result, € 275K including premium, is very satisfactory.
On June 1 in Paris, the auction house Pierre Bergé et Associés sells a clothing made in Upper Egypt 4,000 years ago,one of those objects that open the understanding of the history of civilization.
Of course, textiles are fragile materials not conducive to the preservation in high duration. However, we know now that the mastering of linen weaving occured several tens of thousands years ago. This achievement was as important as agriculture, settlement, domestication.
The linen tunic with sleeves and long skirt that is coming for sale is already a complex object. It consists of three elements sewn together and decorated with fringes. It was deliberately pleated, probably in response to the fashion of the time! Like many Egyptian objects, it is a funerary piece, excavated from the tomb of a dignitary of Meir 100 years ago.
The territorial organization of Egypt predated the Pharaohs, and the dynastic troubles had little effect on the succession of the governors of Meir. This tunic is a provincial piece, contemporary of the transition from Old Kingdom to Middle Kingdom.
This garment in very good condition is estimated € 250K.
POST SALE COMMENT
This piece more historic than artistic was not necessarily easy to sell. The result, € 275K including premium, is very satisfactory.
a craftsman from the valley of the kings
2015 sold for € 374k including premium
The ancient painted textiles have become extremely rare because of their fragility. An Egyptian funerary piece 29 x 21 cm in very nice condition is for sale by PIASA in Paris on June 18, lot 270. Here is the link to the press release.
This piece dates from the eighteenth dynasty which marks the peak of the Theban civilization and of ancient Egyptian art, 3400-3300 years ago. It is made of linen, the material commonly used for strips and shrouds. These small painted linens were placed over the cloth enveloping the sarcophagus.
The image shows the deceased laying his hand on a table of offerings for his pleasure in afterlife. He is carefully dressed and topped, with a long pleated kilt and a cone of ointments. He is sitting in an Egyptian profile on a luxury chair with legs of animals.
The offerings are drawn with precision: bread, meat and marrows. The hieroglyphic text indicates that these foods are all good and pure for the deceased whose name is indicated.
This is not a royal piece. Similar painted textiles were found in the tombs of the artisans of the village of Set Maat her imenty Waset, whose Arabic name will be Deir el-Medina, where they realized the works of art required for the tombs of the Valley of the Kings and the monumental temples. No other possible origin is considered.
This piece dates from the eighteenth dynasty which marks the peak of the Theban civilization and of ancient Egyptian art, 3400-3300 years ago. It is made of linen, the material commonly used for strips and shrouds. These small painted linens were placed over the cloth enveloping the sarcophagus.
The image shows the deceased laying his hand on a table of offerings for his pleasure in afterlife. He is carefully dressed and topped, with a long pleated kilt and a cone of ointments. He is sitting in an Egyptian profile on a luxury chair with legs of animals.
The offerings are drawn with precision: bread, meat and marrows. The hieroglyphic text indicates that these foods are all good and pure for the deceased whose name is indicated.
This is not a royal piece. Similar painted textiles were found in the tombs of the artisans of the village of Set Maat her imenty Waset, whose Arabic name will be Deir el-Medina, where they realized the works of art required for the tombs of the Valley of the Kings and the monumental temples. No other possible origin is considered.
Le carré de lin de Ta-nedjem : découverte majeure pour l’antiquité égyptienne http://t.co/wFzNzOUniU #piasa_auction pic.twitter.com/nyU76VjXsB
— PIASA (@Piasa_auction) May 8, 2015
The Red Pharaoh
2011 Unsold
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
The red jasper is one of the finest materials used in ancient sculpture. 10 cm high, a Pharaoh's head , which certainly had been part of a composite statue, is estimated $ 3M for sale by Christie's in New York on December 7.
This piece appears to be complete although the forehead is low, probably because the statue originally included a corona of another material. The artist had a wonderful sense of geometry and proportion. For example, the slotsextending the large almond shaped eyes give a strong presence in this portrait.
By comparison of style, this work is dated from the eighteenth or nineteenth dynasty 3380 to 3200 years ago.
The pharaohs of this period named the New Kingdom, including Ramses and Seti not forgetting Queen Hatshepsut and the young Tutankhamun, led ancient Egypt to its apogee. We would like to identify the model, but the smooth face is too beautiful, too stylized, too artistic for this exercise to be meaningful.
Generally, the pieces that were highlighted in a museum have a special attraction for collectors of ancient art. This head was exhibited since 1998 in the Antikenmuseum Basel.
The red jasper is one of the finest materials used in ancient sculpture. 10 cm high, a Pharaoh's head , which certainly had been part of a composite statue, is estimated $ 3M for sale by Christie's in New York on December 7.
This piece appears to be complete although the forehead is low, probably because the statue originally included a corona of another material. The artist had a wonderful sense of geometry and proportion. For example, the slotsextending the large almond shaped eyes give a strong presence in this portrait.
By comparison of style, this work is dated from the eighteenth or nineteenth dynasty 3380 to 3200 years ago.
The pharaohs of this period named the New Kingdom, including Ramses and Seti not forgetting Queen Hatshepsut and the young Tutankhamun, led ancient Egypt to its apogee. We would like to identify the model, but the smooth face is too beautiful, too stylized, too artistic for this exercise to be meaningful.
Generally, the pieces that were highlighted in a museum have a special attraction for collectors of ancient art. This head was exhibited since 1998 in the Antikenmuseum Basel.
19th Dynasty - Shawabtis and Ushabtis
2012 SOLD 920 K€ including premium
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
Shawabtis and ushabtis are two different names of the same object: a statuette placed in many copies in the tombs to help the deceased to perform his farming. The only difference is chronological: shawabtis are earlier.
They are not rare, not only because of their original manufacture in series, but also because they have been protected for centuries in the depth of the graves. Made in all available materials, they are good witnesses to the craftsmanshipof the time.
In 1817, Belzoni discovered the tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings. This pharaoh who reigned 3,300 years ago belonged to the nineteenth dynasty and was the father of the famous Ramses II.
On October 24 in Paris, Thierry de Maigret sells a large shawabti of Seti I, 23 cm high, in dark blue faience inscribed with black hieroglyphs and lines.
It includes all the best features of its category: the face is realistic, the symbolic objects are agricultural, the name of the deceased and his favorite god are inscribed along with a long prayer taken from the Book of the Dead.
Its provenance is impeccable: it had belonged to the 2nd Earl Belmore who helped financing the expeditions of Belzoni. Being probably the only shawabti of Pharaoh Seti I still in private hands, it is estimated € 150K.
POST SALE COMMENT
The pre-sale announcements clearly indicated the importance and rarity of this royal shawabti. As often in Paris for the outstanding pieces, the estimate had no real meaning. It was sold € 920K including premium.
Shawabtis and ushabtis are two different names of the same object: a statuette placed in many copies in the tombs to help the deceased to perform his farming. The only difference is chronological: shawabtis are earlier.
They are not rare, not only because of their original manufacture in series, but also because they have been protected for centuries in the depth of the graves. Made in all available materials, they are good witnesses to the craftsmanshipof the time.
In 1817, Belzoni discovered the tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings. This pharaoh who reigned 3,300 years ago belonged to the nineteenth dynasty and was the father of the famous Ramses II.
On October 24 in Paris, Thierry de Maigret sells a large shawabti of Seti I, 23 cm high, in dark blue faience inscribed with black hieroglyphs and lines.
It includes all the best features of its category: the face is realistic, the symbolic objects are agricultural, the name of the deceased and his favorite god are inscribed along with a long prayer taken from the Book of the Dead.
Its provenance is impeccable: it had belonged to the 2nd Earl Belmore who helped financing the expeditions of Belzoni. Being probably the only shawabti of Pharaoh Seti I still in private hands, it is estimated € 150K.
POST SALE COMMENT
The pre-sale announcements clearly indicated the importance and rarity of this royal shawabti. As often in Paris for the outstanding pieces, the estimate had no real meaning. It was sold € 920K including premium.
Later Ptolemies - A Princess in Black Diorite
2009 SOLD 620 K€ including premium
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
At the auction room Drouot in Paris, a princess (or goddess) in black diorite is the most courted lot of the beginning of the year. As early as November 7, we saw it in an advertisement appearing in La Gazette de l'Hôtel Drouot. It was then presented on a cover of this weekly magazine, and in the websites Drouot Presse and Drouot.
It is an outstanding bust of 47 cm high, dating from the end of the Ptolemy Dynasty, 2050 or 2100 years ago. Remember that this dynasty is the link between Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. Founded by a general of the former, it did not survive the wars of the latter. This period was magnificent for arts and literature.
The diorite was very popular in the sculpture of the ancient Egyptians. It enabled a very fine carving, and many items in this material are very well preserved. It is not quite the case for our princess, who lost her nose. The rest of the face and breasts, beautifully polished, are contrasting dramatically with the detailed carving of the wig.
Presented at Lot 194 by the auction house PIASA in the sale of Archeology organized by Pierre Bergé et Associés on January 17, it is estimated 300 K €. Without further research on this topic, it seems to me that this beautiful statue is of exceptional size in its category. I hope it reaches a significant price.
POST SALE COMMENT
The Princess of Egypt achieved an excellent result: 500 K € before fees.
At the same price of 500 K € before fees in the same sale, there was a marble statue of Aphrodite 69 cm high, Roman art from a Greek model.
At the auction room Drouot in Paris, a princess (or goddess) in black diorite is the most courted lot of the beginning of the year. As early as November 7, we saw it in an advertisement appearing in La Gazette de l'Hôtel Drouot. It was then presented on a cover of this weekly magazine, and in the websites Drouot Presse and Drouot.
It is an outstanding bust of 47 cm high, dating from the end of the Ptolemy Dynasty, 2050 or 2100 years ago. Remember that this dynasty is the link between Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. Founded by a general of the former, it did not survive the wars of the latter. This period was magnificent for arts and literature.
The diorite was very popular in the sculpture of the ancient Egyptians. It enabled a very fine carving, and many items in this material are very well preserved. It is not quite the case for our princess, who lost her nose. The rest of the face and breasts, beautifully polished, are contrasting dramatically with the detailed carving of the wig.
Presented at Lot 194 by the auction house PIASA in the sale of Archeology organized by Pierre Bergé et Associés on January 17, it is estimated 300 K €. Without further research on this topic, it seems to me that this beautiful statue is of exceptional size in its category. I hope it reaches a significant price.
POST SALE COMMENT
The Princess of Egypt achieved an excellent result: 500 K € before fees.
At the same price of 500 K € before fees in the same sale, there was a marble statue of Aphrodite 69 cm high, Roman art from a Greek model.
Fayum Mummies
2013 SOLD 1.47 M€ including premium
During the first three centuries of the Roman Empire, Egyptian artists painted an extensive gallery of burial portraits of men, women and children identified as Fayum portraits.
The extreme realism of faces and hairdressing, the jewelry, the clothing details on the upper chest give an idea of the fashion during the Roman period, as well as the ethnic variety. Warm colors, when they are well preserved, highlight the quality of the picture.
At the burial, the wooden boards were wrapped in the bands of the mummy with an opening that enabled the visibility onto the painted face. In large quantities but often taken without sufficient scientific caution, the Fayum portraits have not revealed all their secrets.
Facial features appear realistic. The age of the model could fairly well match the age of death of the mummified person. However, some recurring details, including the eyes always too large, are suggesting that the artists were working from modellos just after the death of the subject.
On May 29 in Paris, Pierre Bergé et Associés sells a superb example of Fayum portrait of a young woman, 38 x 22 cm.
The first available information dates it from the reign of Nero. This dating may seem a little early, but it is consistent with the hypothesis that the funeral customs of Egypt have changed at the beginning of Roman rule, succeeding the Ptolemaic or Greek period which had kept the ancient traditions of mask and sarcophagus.
POST SALE COMMENT
This portrait is great in its class. It was sold for € 1.47 million including premium.
The extreme realism of faces and hairdressing, the jewelry, the clothing details on the upper chest give an idea of the fashion during the Roman period, as well as the ethnic variety. Warm colors, when they are well preserved, highlight the quality of the picture.
At the burial, the wooden boards were wrapped in the bands of the mummy with an opening that enabled the visibility onto the painted face. In large quantities but often taken without sufficient scientific caution, the Fayum portraits have not revealed all their secrets.
Facial features appear realistic. The age of the model could fairly well match the age of death of the mummified person. However, some recurring details, including the eyes always too large, are suggesting that the artists were working from modellos just after the death of the subject.
On May 29 in Paris, Pierre Bergé et Associés sells a superb example of Fayum portrait of a young woman, 38 x 22 cm.
The first available information dates it from the reign of Nero. This dating may seem a little early, but it is consistent with the hypothesis that the funeral customs of Egypt have changed at the beginning of Roman rule, succeeding the Ptolemaic or Greek period which had kept the ancient traditions of mask and sarcophagus.
POST SALE COMMENT
This portrait is great in its class. It was sold for € 1.47 million including premium.
THE MAMLUK CARPET
2011 UNSOLD
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
The Ancient Orient is a dream. However, we can not have an objective view of palace life if we do not address thetheme of that furnishing, luxurious, varied and subject to wear, existing from the eternity of ages: the carpet.
The specimen 2.20 x 1.95 m for sale on October 4 at Christie's in London comes from Egypt. It belongs to a known group of which another piece bears the emblem of the Mamluk Sultan Qayt Bey who reigned in Cairo from 1468 to 1496 of our calendar. It was a period of prosperity, despite the incessant conflict in the region.
This carpet is in very fair condition taking into account its age, although some thinning ("areas of low pile") is reported in the catalog. Especially as it never had a major repair, it remains in its original configuration. It is illustrated in the catalog, displaying its dense geometric decoration based on octagons.
It was woven in seven colors, which is an exceptional amount for a carpet of that time. Red, green and blue are themost common colors, and the other four, turquoise, yellow, black and ivory, are much rarer.
This piece which has survived for over five centuries is estimated £ 800K.
The Ancient Orient is a dream. However, we can not have an objective view of palace life if we do not address thetheme of that furnishing, luxurious, varied and subject to wear, existing from the eternity of ages: the carpet.
The specimen 2.20 x 1.95 m for sale on October 4 at Christie's in London comes from Egypt. It belongs to a known group of which another piece bears the emblem of the Mamluk Sultan Qayt Bey who reigned in Cairo from 1468 to 1496 of our calendar. It was a period of prosperity, despite the incessant conflict in the region.
This carpet is in very fair condition taking into account its age, although some thinning ("areas of low pile") is reported in the catalog. Especially as it never had a major repair, it remains in its original configuration. It is illustrated in the catalog, displaying its dense geometric decoration based on octagons.
It was woven in seven colors, which is an exceptional amount for a carpet of that time. Red, green and blue are themost common colors, and the other four, turquoise, yellow, black and ivory, are much rarer.
This piece which has survived for over five centuries is estimated £ 800K.