E gyp ti an B ro nzes
173 HIGHLY IMPORTANT LARGE EGYPTIAN BRONZE STATUE OF A PRIESTESS OF AMUN with inlaid stone eyes and separately cast short wig of tiny layered locks of hair. Her attached arms are outstretched, probably to hold two sistra (musical rattles). She retains part of her original gold necklace and remains of gold leaf on her wig. XXIInd Dynasty, 945-715 BC. H. 37 in. (94 cm) including her restored feet and ankles. Ex S.O.S. collection, Basel, Switzerland, acquired in the late 1950s; J.A.L. collection, Chesterfield, Virginia. This was probably one of the several large bronze statues found in the Temple of Amun at Karnak in the early 19th Century. One of the two largest examples; the other is heavily restored. This is the only one in private hands; the others are in museums in Athens, Berlin, Leiden, London, and Paris. The Louvre acquired theirs in 1829. Doubtless, one of the most important Egyptian works of art to appear on the art market in a generation!
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