- 49
A Fragmentary Egyptian Greywacke Head of a King, second half of the 26th Dynasty, circa 610-525 B.C.
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 USD
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Description
- A Fragmentary Egyptian Greywacke Head of a King
- Graywacke
- Height 6 1/2 in. 16.5 cm.
probably Apries (589-570 B.C.) or his successor Amasis (570-526 B.C.), the king wearing the nemes headcloth with uraeus, with straight brows and almond-shaped eyes with finely delineated upper lids.
Provenance
Arthur Sachs (1880-1975), New York and subsequently Paris, by 1949
private collection, Paris, by descent
private collection, Paris, by descent
Condition
Damaged in antiquity and fragmentary as shown, the back of head is gone. What remains of the ancient surface of this very hard stone is for the most part in pristine condition. Surface has been waxed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
For related examples compare B.v. Bothmer, Egyptian Sculpture of the Late Period, 700 B.C. to A.D. 100, Brooklyn, 1960, no. 51 (= Sotheby’s New York, June 8th, 1994, no. 47, cover illus.) and no. 55, heads of Kings Apries and Amasis respectively. Mr. Bothmer writes, in regard to the head of Apries, that the “fragmentary state of preservation is probably due to the deliberate destruction which many monuments of Apries suffered after he had been defeated by Amasis, the usurper who became his successor”. The extensive damage inflicted on the present royal head might therefore suggest that its identification as Apries is the more likely of the two.
Also compare the greywacke head identified as Apries or Amasis in the British Museum (EA 97), where the king wears the nemes-headcloth (Aiden Dobson, Monarchs of the Nile, London, 1995, p.193). It too has suffered from intentional damage in antiquity.
Also compare the greywacke head identified as Apries or Amasis in the British Museum (EA 97), where the king wears the nemes-headcloth (Aiden Dobson, Monarchs of the Nile, London, 1995, p.193). It too has suffered from intentional damage in antiquity.