A Set of Four Egyptian Banded Alabaster Canopic Jars, 26th Dynasty, 664-525 B.C.

belonging to the scribe Nisuese, of slightly flaring ovoid form carved with four columns of inscription, and surmounted by lids representing the Four Sons of Horus, from the left human-headed Imsety, protector of the liver, with full lower lip and grooved eyes with traces of pigment, jackal-headed Duamutef, protector of the stomach, with nostrils summarily indicated and carefully incised eyes, falcon-headed Qebehsenuef, protector of the intestines, with sharply hooked beak and eyes carved in raised relief, and baboon-headed Hapy, protector of the lungs, with finely incised mouth, recessed circular nostrils, and large grooved eyes.

Nicolas Tano, Rue Kamel  no. 7, Cairo
Mrs. Mina Merrill Prindle (1864-1963), Duluth, Minnesota and Pasadena, California, acquired from the above about April 18th, 1923
thence by descent to the present owners

Very good and as shown. The head of Imsety has slight abrasion around part of the lower edge of the wig; the head of Duamutef has a few chips on the ears as shown; the beak of the head of Qebehsenuef is abraded down somewhat at the end, and has very minor nicks on the lower edge of the wig, and a slight nick on the outside of the proper left eye; the head of Hapy has a few chips around the lower edge. The bodies of the jars are all in good condition, with varying degrees of minor nicks, hair-line cracks, scratches, and natural flaws in the coloration of the stone. The undersides of the lids are numbered 1-4, probably by Mrs. Prindle. in ink or pencil, and three of the lids have the remains of cloth tape on which she has noted what they are. The undersides of the jars have remnants of painted numbers 1-4.
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.

The inscriptions contain prayers and record the name of the owner of the jars, the scribe Nisuese, and name each of the Four Sons of Horus and their respective responsible goddess. Other examples of complete sets with their lids are in the Museo Gregoriano Egizio, Vatican City (G. Botti and P. Romanelli, Le Sculture del Museo Gregoriano Egizio, Vatican City, 1951, nos. 67-70), Liverpool Museum (P.Bienkowski and A. Tooley, Gifts of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Arts and Crafts in the Liverpool Museum, 1995, pl. 114), the A.V. Lane Collection, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Cairo, JE 85915, painted alabaster jars of Psusennes I, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (S. D’Auria, P. Lacovara, and C.H.Roehrig, Mummies & Magic, The Funerary Arts of Ancient Egypt, Boston, 1998, no. 137); also compare Sotheby’s, New York, November 28th, 1990, no. 67.

Mrs. Prindle first saw this set of canopic jars on a visit to Nicholas Tano’s Cairo establishment early in 1922, but did not finalize the purchase until the following year. A lengthy correspondence between them followed her visit, and also between her and the American Express office and the American Legation in Cairo. In the course of these communications, Tano writes that the jars had been seen and dated by both James Henry Breasted of the Oriental Institute at Chicago and H.E. Winlock of the Metropolitan Museum, two of the world’s most renowned Egyptologists. Also included is a photograph of the jars with a note from Winlock on the back suggesting their 26th Dynasty date, and a letter from him to Mrs. Prindle noting that his museum “…had a great many dealings with Tano and never regretted any of them”.