Two Ptolemaic mosaic glass halves of inundation figures

3RD-1ST CENTURY B.C.

Details

Two Ptolemaic mosaic glass halves of inundation figures
3rd-1st Century B.C.
Each with clumps of papyrus, opaque blue figures wearing turquoise girdle, orange bracelets and arm-bands and a white collar, the turquoise papyrus stalks emerging from pools of water indicated with a white zigzag hieroglyph for water, each with opaque red matrix, faces missing, one half repaired, 2.5cm. high, 1.1cm. wide, 0.2cm. thick max.; and ten mosaic glass imbricated feather bars and inlays, 2.4 to 0.7cm. long (12)

Provenance

Sold Christie's, London, Ancient Egyptian Glass Inlays, Part II, 7 July 1993, lots 91 and 123.

Lot Essay

Item one: cf. S. Goldstein, Pre-Roman and Early Roman Glass in The Corning Museum of Glass, New York, 1979, p. 239, nos. 695-696 for two identical halves from the Smith collection.

The representation of the Inundation gods (Hapy) tying up clumps of papyrus symbolises the unification of the Two Lands, the paypyrus being the symbol for Lower Egypt.

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