MIDDLE KINGDOM, DYNASTY XII-XIII, 1991-1640 B.C.

Details

AN EGYPTIAN GRAYWACKE TORSO OF A VIZIER
MIDDLE KINGDOM, DYNASTY XII-XIII, 1991-1640 B.C.
The corpulent figure standing with his arms at his sides, wearing a fringed wrap-around kilt tied at the top, its horizontal folds defined by incision, the vertical hem running diagonally across the front, the back pillar uninscribed
10¼ in. (26 cm.) high

Provenance

with Dr. Scaramella, Paris.
Acquired by the current owner in Paris circa 1980.

Brought to you by

G. Max Bernheimer

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mbernheimer@christies.com Tel: + 1 + 212 636 2245

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Lot Essay

The horizontal striations represent folds purposely applied to the cloth when it was still damp from laundering. The sharpness of the folds indicates a freshly-laundered, starched and stored garment, indicating the high status of the vizier, since it shows that he could afford domestic help. For an example in the British Museum with a similar garment see no. 47 in Bourriau, Pharaohs and Mortals; for a high court official and a "keeper of the seal" in bronze, both similarly clothed, see nos. 33-34 in Ortiz, In Pursuit of the Absolute, Art of the Ancient World from the George Ortiz Collection.

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