A BASALT FRAGMENTARY HEAD OF AN UREAUS, LATE PERIOD

拍品描述

A BASALT FRAGMENTARY HEAD OF AN UREAUS, LATE PERIOD This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve Egypt, 664-332 BC. Boldly carved, the pointed head of the serpent rendered in highly stylized form, defined only by deep eye sockets. The igneous stone, of a dark color, with subtle greyish mottling. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Length 2.9 cm The uraeus is the stylized, upright representation of the Egyptian cobra used as a symbol of sovereignty, royalty, divine power, and legitimate authority in ancient Egypt. It is closely associated with the goddess Wadjet, whose principal cult center was Per-Wadjet (later known to the Greeks as Buto), and who became the patron deity of the Nile Delta and the protector of Lower Egypt. Pharaohs wore the uraeus as a royal emblem, either represented as the goddess emerging from the brow or as a circlet around the head. This iconography signified protection associated with Wadjet and reinforced legitimacy and authority over the land. Basalt, an igneous volcanic rock characterized by its dark color, was among the important materials employed in ancient Egypt from the Old Kingdom onward, and had already been used since Predynastic times. It was employed in the production of a wide range of objects, including amulets, scarabs, ritual implements, and small artifacts deposited in tomb contexts, as well as, in earlier periods, tools and utilitarian objects comparable in hardness to flint. In later periods, basalt was increasingly used for the manufacture of coffins, statues, reliefs, and offering tables.

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