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LOT 0005

Two Egyptian Glass Lion Fragments - Head w/ Body & Leg

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Egypt, Ptolemaic to early Romano-Egyptian period, ca. 332 BCE to first half of 1st century CE. A fantastic set of two mold-formed glass compositions made from opaque glass in mottled hues of citrine, russet, sage, and tan. First is the front end of a regal lion with a short snout bearing puffy jowls, bushy brows, and an incised mane. Second is the curved hind leg of a lion with a padded paw and stocky thigh; this leg is perhaps from a different, larger lion based on the relative size. Feline and leonine images in ancient Egyptian visual culture were very popular as several deities assumed their form. This lion head may represent Maahes, a solar war god commonly referred to as "The Lord of the Massacre" who took the form of a lion. Size (head & body): 2.8" W x 2.75" H (7.1 cm x 7 cm); (leg) 3" L x 0.9" W (7.6 cm x 2.3 cm)

Maahes was the son of Bastet, the cat goddess of Lower Egypt, but also was the son of Sekhmet, the goddess of war in Upper Egypt who also took a feline form. It is believed that his father was Ra or Ptah. Maahes was closely linked with Nefertum and was believed to be the son of both Sekhmet and Bastet. In addition, he was known as the "Avenger of Wrongs" and the "Helper of Wise Ones" and considered to be the guardian of sacred places and the protector of the innocent.

Several other Egyptian gods were depicted as a lion. These included: Apedemak - a war god from Nubia; Arensnuphis - companion to Isis also from Nubia; twin lion gods Ruty, a name that means "pair of lions"; Shesmetet, a leonine goddess with the body of a woman but the head of a lion who is regarded as an aspect of Bastet or Sekhmet, only an older deity; and Tefnut, the goddess of moisture and daughter of Ra who is depicted as a seated woman with a lion's head.

For a few good examples of glass inlays from the same time period, please see: Stern, E. Marianne and Birgit Schlick-Nolte. "Early Glass of the Ancient World: 1600 B.C. - A.D. 50 | Ernesto Wolf Collection." Verlag Gerd Hatje, Germany, 1994, pp. 358-364, figs. 115-118.

Provenance: ex-Dr. Sid Port collection, California, USA, acquired in the 1970s; ex-Norman Blankman collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1950s in Cairo, Egypt

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.

#153329
Condition Report: Both items are fragments of larger glass compositions and have been professionally cleaned and conserved. Repair to back of lion's body, with resurfacing along break lines on verso. Each item has minor nicks and abrasions to front, peripheries, and verso, with light encrustations, and minor softening to some finer details. Great glass color throughout.

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Time, Location
02 Apr 2020
USA, Louisville, CO
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[ translate ]

Egypt, Ptolemaic to early Romano-Egyptian period, ca. 332 BCE to first half of 1st century CE. A fantastic set of two mold-formed glass compositions made from opaque glass in mottled hues of citrine, russet, sage, and tan. First is the front end of a regal lion with a short snout bearing puffy jowls, bushy brows, and an incised mane. Second is the curved hind leg of a lion with a padded paw and stocky thigh; this leg is perhaps from a different, larger lion based on the relative size. Feline and leonine images in ancient Egyptian visual culture were very popular as several deities assumed their form. This lion head may represent Maahes, a solar war god commonly referred to as "The Lord of the Massacre" who took the form of a lion. Size (head & body): 2.8" W x 2.75" H (7.1 cm x 7 cm); (leg) 3" L x 0.9" W (7.6 cm x 2.3 cm)

Maahes was the son of Bastet, the cat goddess of Lower Egypt, but also was the son of Sekhmet, the goddess of war in Upper Egypt who also took a feline form. It is believed that his father was Ra or Ptah. Maahes was closely linked with Nefertum and was believed to be the son of both Sekhmet and Bastet. In addition, he was known as the "Avenger of Wrongs" and the "Helper of Wise Ones" and considered to be the guardian of sacred places and the protector of the innocent.

Several other Egyptian gods were depicted as a lion. These included: Apedemak - a war god from Nubia; Arensnuphis - companion to Isis also from Nubia; twin lion gods Ruty, a name that means "pair of lions"; Shesmetet, a leonine goddess with the body of a woman but the head of a lion who is regarded as an aspect of Bastet or Sekhmet, only an older deity; and Tefnut, the goddess of moisture and daughter of Ra who is depicted as a seated woman with a lion's head.

For a few good examples of glass inlays from the same time period, please see: Stern, E. Marianne and Birgit Schlick-Nolte. "Early Glass of the Ancient World: 1600 B.C. - A.D. 50 | Ernesto Wolf Collection." Verlag Gerd Hatje, Germany, 1994, pp. 358-364, figs. 115-118.

Provenance: ex-Dr. Sid Port collection, California, USA, acquired in the 1970s; ex-Norman Blankman collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1950s in Cairo, Egypt

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.

#153329
Condition Report: Both items are fragments of larger glass compositions and have been professionally cleaned and conserved. Repair to back of lion's body, with resurfacing along break lines on verso. Each item has minor nicks and abrasions to front, peripheries, and verso, with light encrustations, and minor softening to some finer details. Great glass color throughout.

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Estimate
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Time, Location
02 Apr 2020
USA, Louisville, CO
Auction House
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