Amulet of a seated sphinx with Nubian hairstyle

Culture

Egyptian, c. 1292 – 656 BC

Size

2,7 cm high, mounted on a 0,5 cm base. 

Provenance

Dutch Private Collection, Ex Gorny & Mosch.

Dr. Hans Halter, Swiss collection before 1966. In EU collection since 2006. 

Description

Rare figure of a (female) sphinx in seated position on a base, with loop between the shoulders and rare Nubian ‘four stranded’ hairstyle. The Nubian hairstyle was worn by young women in connection with birth, nursing babies and applying cosmetics.

Publications

Gorny and Mosch Catalogue auction 316, page 2.

Condition

Fine details, right side of four stranded hairstyle

missing.

Parallels

Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, British Museum 1994, p.78, fig.78a and 78d, for similar amulets.  

https://collections.carlos.emory.edu/objects/11611/sphinx-amulet;jsessionid=DC19615EE6E602DD7A5015E692F303D6

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/570329

https://collections.mfa.org/objects/145688/amulet-in-the-form-of-a-seated-sphinx?ctx=ce1724d8-f1ea-40c9-a04b-d88f72972dfe&idx=0 

Price

€ 950