**Previously Listed At $300**

Egypt, New Kingdom to Third Intermediate Period, 1550 to 712 BCE. A fragment of a relief sculpture carved on a thick slab of pale sandstone. The fragment shows a slender torso in classic Egyptian style; one arm crosses the torso. The arm is well-modeled, with clear musculature. Behind the torso is another body of which the only part remaining is an outstretched arm holding a long, thin-necked vessel suspended on a strap. Dark red pigment colors the arms and torso; the vessel and background are unpainted. Comes with custom wooden stand. Size: 8.6" W x 6.2" H (21.8 cm x 15.7 cm); height on stand: 7.95" (20.2 cm).

Painted, raised reliefs are some of the most famous artwork from ancient Egypt. They lined the walls of tombs, temples, and palaces, and have a specific visual style of two-dimensional, profile figures that persisted in Egypt for centuries. Artisans created them in several steps. First, they carved the scene in low relief. Next, they divided the drawing surface into a grid using string coated in red pigment dust. Archaeologists have found models divided into grids to help artists better understand proportions on these often-large works. The painting was then done a single color at a time. Egyptian pigments came from local minerals, and red like the pigment used here came from iron oxides ground and mixed with a plant- or animal-based glue that would adhere to sandstone.

Provenance: private New Jersey USA collection, acquired over twenty years ago

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#121526

Piece is a fragment, as shown. Some of the pigment is slightly smeared.