Sale
2490
Lot
39, Wadjet, Egyptian, Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty XXI-XXII,
1070-712 B.C., bronze, 22 1/2 inches high
By Carter B. Horsley
This December 7 Antiquities
auction at Christie's New York is highlighted by several works from the
Collection of John W. Kluge that are being sold to benefit Columbia
University as part of a $400 million gift earmarked for student
scholarships.
Lot 39 is a great Egyptian bronze statue of Wadjet
from the Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty XXI-XXII, 1070-712 B.C.
It is 22 1/2 inches high and is the cover illustration of the
auction catalogue. The plinth is held up by kneeling male
figure.
Detail of Lot
39
The lot, which is property of
the Collection of John W. Kluge, has an estimate of $500,000 to
$700,000. It
sold for $578,500.
Lot 35, head
of a pharaoh, Egyptian, New Kingdom, Dynasty XVIII-XIX, circa 1473-1290
B.C., red jasper, 3 15/16 inches high
The
most exquisite object in the auction is Lot 35, an Egyptian red jasper
head of a pharaoh from the New Kindgdom, Dynasty XVIII-XIX. circa
1473-1290 B.C. It is 3 15/16 inches high and the face is in
marvelous condition. The catalogue entry notes that the head
is
"one of the rarest and certainly one of the most beautiful Egyptian
works of art to appear at auction in several decades." It has
an
estimate of $3,000,000 to $5,000,000 It failed to sell.
Lot 202,
statue of Egyptian Queen, basanite, Roman, Hadrianic, circa 2nd
CenturyA.D., 33 3/4 inches high
Lot
22 is a large and impressive Roman basanite statue of an Egyptian
Queen, circa 2nd Century A.D., that comes from Hadian's Villa
in
Tivoli, and was for many years in the collection at Harrington House in
Warwickshire, England. It is in fabulous condition and the
stone
has a highly polished, almost too perfect, texture. It has an
estimate of $3,000,000 to $5,000,000. It failed to sell.
Lot
38, cat, Egyptian, bronze, 23 1/2 inches high, Third Intermediate
Period, Dynasty XXI-XXII,1070-712 B.C.
Lot
38 is a large bronze Egyptian cat from the Third Intermediate Period,
Dynasty XXI-XXII, 1070-712 B.C. It is 23 1/2 inches high.
It is property of the Collection of John W. Kluge.
It has an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 26,
hippopotamus ivory lion, Egyptian, Early Dynasty Period, Dynasty I-II,
2920-2649 B.C., 3 1/8 inches long
Lot
26 is a
charming Egyptian hippopotamus ivory lion from the Early Dynasty
Period, Dynasty I-II, 2920-2649 B.C. It is 3 1/8 inches long.
It has
an estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. It
sold for $116,500.
Lot
174, Emblema of Cleopatra Selene, Roman, parcel gilt silver, circa late
1st Century B.C./early 1st Century A.D., 6 7/8 inches high
The
most spectacular and beautiful lot in the auction is Lot 174, a
dazzling Roman emblema of Cleopatra Selene, parcel gilt
silver, circa
late 1st Century B.C./early 1st Century A.D. It is 6 7/8
inches high.
It has an estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. It sold for $2,546,500.
The
elephant headdress, the catalogue noted, first appeared in coins
depicting Alexander the Great: "The imagery is thought to evoke
Dionysus, the mythical conqueror of India...During the Roman Republic,
the elephant headdress was employed for the personification of the
province of Africa....This exquisite and important bust finds its
closest parallel with an emblema still joined to its bowl that was
found in a villa at Borscoreale, near Pompeii im 1895, and is now in
the Louvre. Octavian gave Cleopatra Selene as wife to Juba
and
then made them king and queen of Mauretania.
Lot 217,
figure of an emperor, Roman, bronze, circa late 2nd-Early 3rd Century
A.D., 72 inches high
Lot
217 is an extremely fine, "monumental" Roman bronze figure of an
emperor, circa late 2nd-Early 3rd Century A.D. It is 72
inches
high and is property from the collection of John W. Kluge
sold to
benefit Columbia University. It has an estimate of $800,000
to $1,200,000. It
sold for $1,426,500.
Lot
206, Diana, marble, Roman, circa 2nd Century A.D., 53 inches high
Another
Kluge sculpture is Lot 206, a Roman marble statue of Diana, circa 2nd
Century A.D. It is 53 inches high and has a modest
estimate
of $50,000 to $80,000. It
sold for $122,500.
Lot 196,
Statue of a goddess, Roman, marble, circa 1st-2nd Century A.D., 57
inches high
Lot
196 is an impressive headlless Roman marble statue of a goddess, circa
1st-2nd Century A.D. It is 57 inches high and has an modest
estimate of $150,000 to $250,000. It
failed to sell.
Lot 157
figure of Mithradaes VI Eupator, bronze, Greek, circa early 1st Century
B.C., 5 5/8 inches high
Lot
157 is a very fine and lovely Greek bronze figure of Mithradates VI
Eurapator, circa early 1st Century B.C. It is 5 5/8 inches
high.
Mithradates Eupator Dionysos (120-63 B.C.) was the last
Hellenistic ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus on the Black Sea coast of
Anatolia. It has an estimate of $250,000 to $350,000.
It sold for
$362,500.
Lot
181, portrait bust of Epikouros, Roman, marble, circa 1st Century A.D.,
10 1/2 inches high
Lot
181 is a good Roman marble portrait bust of Epikouros, circa 1st
Century A.D. It is 10 1/2 inches high. It has an
estimate
of $50,000 to $80,000. It
sold for $112,900.
Lot 146,
portrait head of Aischylos, Roman, marble, circa 1st Century A.D., 13
1/8 inches high
Lot
146 is a fine Roman marble portrait head of Aischylos, circa 1st
Century A.D. It is 13 1/8 inches high. It
has an
estimate of $120,000 to $180,000 and was once in the collection Peter
Jay Sharp. It
sold for $146,500.
Lot 213, Bust
of the Emperior Septimus Severius, marble, Roman, circa late 2nd-early
3rd Century A.D., 15 inches high
Lot
213 is a nice Roman marble bust of the Emperor Septimus Severus, circa
late 2nd Century-early 3rd Century A.D. It is 15 inches high
and has an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. It sold $266.500.
Lot 183,
Janiform herm head depicting Jupiter Ammon and a young satyr, Roman,
marble, circa 1st Century A.D, 10 3/4 inches high
Lot
183 is a fine Roman marble janiform herm head, circa 1st Century A.D.
One side depicts Jupiter Ammon and the other a young satyr.
It is 10 3/4 inches high. It has a modest estiamte
of
$80,000 to $120,000. It
failed to sell.
Lot 175, head
of a goddess, Roman, marble, circa 1st Century A.D., 9 1/2 inches high
Lot
175 is a lovely Roman marble head of a goddess, circa 1st Century A.D.
It is 9 1/2 inches high and has a very modest estimate of
$10,000
to $15,000. It
sold for $17,500.
Lot 119,
red-figured bell krater, Attic, attributed to the Painter of London 64,
circa 390-370 B.C., 16 1/4 inches high
Lot
119 is a very nice Attic red-figured bell krater attributed to the
Painter of London 64, circa 390-370 B.C. It shows Nike
driving a quadriga. It is 16 1/4 inches high and has an
estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It
sold for $80,500.