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Lot Essay
Emile Louis Picault (1833-1915) trained under Louis Royer, the Dutch sculptor, and exhibited a wide range of sculpture at the Salon between 1863 and 1909. His Orientalist subjects are some of his most popular works and follow in the tradition of ethnographic-based artwork in France during the second half of the 19th Century.
The clock is surmounted by a figure traditionally identified as King Menthuophis, ruler of Egypt, who was murdered and succeeded by Queen Nitocris, either his wife or his sister, circa 2200 B.C. Her six year reign witnessed two important events: the completion of the third pyramid, and the dreadful revenge exacted upon the murderers of Menthuophis. In order to accomplish the latter, the Queen organised a banquet for all the accomplices in a specially constructed underground chamber. At the height of the feasting, the chamber was suddenly flooded with water brought from the Nile by means of a concealed pipe. Everyone drowned except for Nitocris, who escaped only to take her life in an ash pit, rather than face punishment. This bronze is often accompanied by a pendant figure of Queen Nitocris and the pair are also known as The Pharaoh's Gift and The Queen's Offering.
Another pair of the flanking figures to this garniture, of the Egyptian High Priest and Scribe, of the same size, sold Christie's, London, 29 March 2007, lot 40 (£38,400).
Please see lot 26 for a note on the bronzier and fondeur G. Servant.
The clock is surmounted by a figure traditionally identified as King Menthuophis, ruler of Egypt, who was murdered and succeeded by Queen Nitocris, either his wife or his sister, circa 2200 B.C. Her six year reign witnessed two important events: the completion of the third pyramid, and the dreadful revenge exacted upon the murderers of Menthuophis. In order to accomplish the latter, the Queen organised a banquet for all the accomplices in a specially constructed underground chamber. At the height of the feasting, the chamber was suddenly flooded with water brought from the Nile by means of a concealed pipe. Everyone drowned except for Nitocris, who escaped only to take her life in an ash pit, rather than face punishment. This bronze is often accompanied by a pendant figure of Queen Nitocris and the pair are also known as The Pharaoh's Gift and The Queen's Offering.
Another pair of the flanking figures to this garniture, of the Egyptian High Priest and Scribe, of the same size, sold Christie's, London, 29 March 2007, lot 40 (£38,400).
Please see lot 26 for a note on the bronzier and fondeur G. Servant.