Ancient Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, ca. 1070 to 712 BCE. A cast bronze ibis, posed as if standing in the shallow waters on the shores of the Nile, with its large feet drawn beneath its ovoid body, its neck curved upward and its long, curving beak pointing downward. Small inset areas show where its eyes were and the feet have detailed joints. The bronze patina on this piece is particularly colorful boasting vivid turquoise and blue hues. Size: 3.6" L x 1.05" W x 2.4" H (9.1 cm x 2.7 cm x 6.1 cm)

Larger ibises shaped just like this one but with bronze heads and legs attached to hollow wooden bodies were used by the Egyptians to hold the mummified remains of ibises. The ibis, an elegant, long-legged wading bird that lives along the shores of the Nile, was associated with the god Thoth. He was the god of wisdom and writing, and in worship to him many thousands of ibises were ritually sacrificed, embalmed, and mummified before being buried in underground galleries. Thousands of these burials have been excavated at Sakkara, near Memphis, Egypt's ancient capital. This piece, a miniature bronze model of these ibis containers, may have served as a votive item, to be placed inside a tomb, or perhaps one bought by a pilgrim visiting Sakkara.

Provenance: Ex-Henry & Gretchen Burnett Collection, Santa Barbara, CA, acquired before 1970

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#120036

Dark turquoise and blue patina overall. Smoothing due to age but form is still quite vivid.