19TH CENTURY

Details

A PAIR OF BLACK SLATE OBELISKS OF CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE AT ALEXANDRIA
19TH CENTURY
13½ in. (34.3 cm.) high (2)

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve. No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

The original obelisk, nearly 60-ft high and weighing around 186 tons was presented by the Turkish Viceroy of Egypt, Mohammed Ali to the British in 1819. Cut from the quarries of Aswan and erected at Heliopolis around 1475 BC, it was moved by the Romans to Alexandria where by the early 19th century it had toppled over in the sand. It was later transported to London and re-erected on Victoria Embankment.

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