Egyptian Middle Kingdom Terracotta Offering Table
Ancient Egypt, Middle Kingdom to Second Intermediate Period, 11th to 17th Dynasty, ca. 2130 to 1550 BCE. A fine example of a hand-built terracotta offering table of an ovoid form. The raised exterior wall forms a shallow cavity in which a semicircular basin is separated from the open end via a horizontal 'wall' with a pair of perforated holes. The holes within the separation strip enable any liquid offerings to flow freely from the enclosed side to the open side, and several grooves in the middle of the central, horseshoe-shaped panel were meant for holding non-liquid offerings. Offerings tables were a central component of cult monuments and tombs in ancient Egypt that date back to Pre-Dynastic times. People would leave food on mats in front of tombs; over time, these 'mats' became more elaborate and turned into offering tables like this example. Size: 11.6" L x 11" W (29.5 cm x 27.9 cm)
Provenance: private J. Hallen collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, acquired around 2014; ex-Eric Odem collection, New Jersey, USA
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#151069
Condition Report: Nicks and abrasions to central wall, basin surfaces, peripheries, and base, with light encrustations, and a couple of stable fissures, otherwise intact and very good. Nice earthen deposits throughout.
View it on
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
Ancient Egypt, Middle Kingdom to Second Intermediate Period, 11th to 17th Dynasty, ca. 2130 to 1550 BCE. A fine example of a hand-built terracotta offering table of an ovoid form. The raised exterior wall forms a shallow cavity in which a semicircular basin is separated from the open end via a horizontal 'wall' with a pair of perforated holes. The holes within the separation strip enable any liquid offerings to flow freely from the enclosed side to the open side, and several grooves in the middle of the central, horseshoe-shaped panel were meant for holding non-liquid offerings. Offerings tables were a central component of cult monuments and tombs in ancient Egypt that date back to Pre-Dynastic times. People would leave food on mats in front of tombs; over time, these 'mats' became more elaborate and turned into offering tables like this example. Size: 11.6" L x 11" W (29.5 cm x 27.9 cm)
Provenance: private J. Hallen collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, acquired around 2014; ex-Eric Odem collection, New Jersey, USA
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#151069
Condition Report: Nicks and abrasions to central wall, basin surfaces, peripheries, and base, with light encrustations, and a couple of stable fissures, otherwise intact and very good. Nice earthen deposits throughout.
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
