A large Egyptian Bronze Figure of Nephthys, Late - Ptolemaic Period, ca. 664 - 30 BCE

This large, solid cast bronze standing female figure depicts the Egyptian goddess Nephthys, “Mistress of the House”, shown standing on an integrated plinth and wearing close-fitting sheath dress, a tripartite wig fronted by a uraeus and surmounted by a modius encircled with uraei, her arms held alongside her body. She has been mounted on an early, vintage wooden base, having a gold painted label: “Nephthys Sister of Isis”.

A member of the Great Ennead of Heliopolis in Egyptian mythology, Nephthys (in Egyptian, N bt-l;wt) was a daughter of Nut and Geb. As one of the four protectresses of the dead, Nephthys was a member of the family of Osiris, sister and helper of lsis and Osiris (to whom she bore Anubis), and sister-wife of Seth, the god of chaos and Osiris’s murderer and brother. She was typically paired with her sister Isis in funerary rites because of their role as protectors of the mummy.

Reference:
Andrews, Carol, 1994. Amulets of Ancient Egypt. Austin: University of Texas. 19.
Pinch, Geraldine, 2002. Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 171-2.

Medium: Bronze

Dimensions: Height: 7 7/8 inches (20 cm); With tang: 8 5/8 inches (21.9 cm)

Condition: Overall scattered areas of blue-green surface patina on a deep brown ground. Missing the separately cast crown, otherwise intact and in very good condition overall.

Provenance: Old English collection, early 20th century, private Japanese collection, Christie's NY, December 7, 2000, lot 357, Michael Beech collection until 2020, private Virginia collection.

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