RARE EGYPTIAN STONE FRAGMENT OF A STATUE

RARE EGYPTIAN STONE FRAGMENT OF A STATUE
Late Period, Mid Dynasty 26th, Ca. 610 - 570 BC. A basalt bust of an imposing pharaoh. He stares forward with prominent facial details and protruding ears under a nemes headdress. The face is framed by the sides of the headdress, and the lappets hang down to rest on the broad shoulders. The reverse of the head is well defined, and part of the nemes extends down the centre of his spine. This bust may have been created as a standalone object rather than a piece from a larger statue. It is indefinite who this model was meant to represent, though the refined quality and sophisticated presentation indicate it was likely a pharaoh of this period. A long inscription is engraved on the plinth on the reverse of the statue. For similar see: La Bellezza femminile nell'antico Egitto, p. 102. Size: 140mm x 80mm; Weight: 665g Provenance: Prince collection, 1990s-2014; Ex. Collector's Eye, Thalassic Collection. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.