Ancient Egypt, Ptolemaic to Roman Period, ca. 304 BCE to 364 CE. An incredibly rare standing figure of Nephthys, goddess of death and darkness and one of the oldest deities in the Egyptian pantheon - identified by the temple-shaped headdress upon her head. The goddess is clad in a sheath dress with arms placed firmly at her sides while standing with bared feet atop an integral trapezoidal plinth. Expert craftsmanship is evident based on the fineness of the wig stripes and wesekh collar, and the overall presentation is something to be admired. Size: 0.875" L x 1.2" W x 5.8" H (2.2 cm x 3 cm x 14.7 cm); 7.2" H (18.3 cm) on included custom stand.

The goddess Nephthys is one of the oldest deities of ancient Egypt and, accordingly, one of the most symbolically significant. She is the daughter of Geb (god of the earth) and Nut (goddess of the sky), and is the mother of Anubis, the jackal-headed god of embalming and the dead. Nephthys' association with death and darkness originates from the bipolarity of light and dark she shares with her sister Isis, the goddess of light and rebirth, and the symbols most-commonly associated with the goddess are the temple (as seen on her headdress), the hawk, and the sycamore tree.

Nephthys is so strongly linked with death that effigies of her likeness were regularly created and displayed during ancient Egyptian funerary ceremonies, and her portrait is one of four goddesses present in the tomb of Tutankhamen. In fact, her namesake cult, the "Cult of Nephthys," is even credited for creating some of the first professional funerary mourners, nicknamed the "hawks of Nephthys." Funerary figures like this example were elaborately decorated to pay homage as well as to protect the body of the deceased. This figure was first covered in thick layers of gesso, then painted with brightly-colored pigments, and finally accentuated with thin layers of applied gilding. Funerary carvings of Nephthys were often accompanied by matching carvings of her sister, Isis, with each being placed near on atop the ends of a sarcophagus.

Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number X.352.2

Provenance: private Coral Springs, Florida, USA collection; ex-Alfred Byrd Graf estate, Dusseldorf, Germany, acquired before 2000

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#183802

Professional cleaning to surfaces with expert care to preserve finer details. Minor abrasions and light earthen deposits within some recessed areas, otherwise intact and near choice. Excellent preservation to finer details.