Two Large Egyptian Turquoise Faience Foundation Tiles, 19th Dynasty, period of Ramesses II, 1279-1212 B.C.

Auction Closed

December 7, 04:32 PM GMT

Estimate

30,000 - 50,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

Property from an English Private Collection

Two Large Egyptian Turquoise Faience Foundation Tiles

19th Dynasty, period of Ramesses II, 1279-1212 B.C.

each of rectangular form inlaid in white with an inscribed cartouche, the first cartouche containing the prenomen of King Ramesses II, "Usermaatre Setepenre," surmounted by the title "King of Upper and Lower Egypt," the second containing the king’s nomen, "Ra’-masesu meri Amon."

37 by 17 by 7 cm.

Matthias Komor (1909-1984), New York, inv. nos. E 529 (left) and E 530 (right)

Clarence Day (1927-2009), Memphis, Tennessee, acquired from the above in 1975

private collection, Japan

Sotheby’s, New York, June 7th, 2005, no. 83, illus.

property of a private foundation

acquired from the above by the present owner

Foundation tiles bearing the cartouches of Ramesses II, whether inlaid or painted, are generally thought to come from the palace of Ramesses II at Piramesse, his capital in the eastern part of the Nile delta, near modern Kantir (see W. C. Hayes, The Scepter of Egypt, vol. 2, New York, 1953, p. 336). On the strategic importance and cosmopolitan fabric of Piramesse see Ian Shaw, ed., The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Oxford, 2000, pp. 300-301.

For related examples of similar size cf. W. C. Hayes, Glazed Tiles from a Palace of Ramesses II at Kantir, New York, 1937, pl. I, Staatliche Sammlung ägyptischer Kunst, Munich, 1976, pp. 118-119, no. ÄS 5535, and Sotheby's, New York, June 12th, 2003, no. 86. For smaller, mostly painted examples see Meisterwerke altägyptischer Keramik, p. 175, no. 287, and André Wiese, Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig. Die ägyptische Abteilung, Mainz am Rhein, p. 134, no. 92.