Egyptian Blue Skullcap from a Composite Figure of Ptah, Late Period, ca. 664 - 332 BCE

This small Egyptian blue skullcap was originally created as a fitted element for a composite cult statue of the god Ptah. The recessed interior is designed to sit securely over a wooden tenon emerging from the figure's head, a construction method well documented in elite wooden statuary of the New Kingdom and later periods. The material retains its characteristic glassy surface within the interior, while the exterior shows natural staining and minor wear consistent with age and burial.

The piece is presented on a custom birch wood bust carved from a single block by F. Massé in 2015, allowing the ancient element to be understood in its original sculptural context while remaining fully reversible.

Bibliography: For a comparable example and its use, refer to the gilded wood figure of Ptah from the tomb of Tutankhamen, illustrated in I.E.S. Edwards, Treasures of Tutankhamen, pl. 22. Friedman, F. D.; Gifts of the Nile, p. 184.185, nos. 26 & 28, illus. p. 83, for elaborate examples. Lacovara, P.; The Collectors’ Eye, The Thalassic Collection, p. 61, no. 29, for a skullcap inlay. Hatjie, V. G.; Early Glass of the Ancient World, p. 172-173, no. 26, for a small head in identical medium and color. 

Medium: Egyptian Blue

Dimensions: Width: 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm)

Condition: Minor edge chip above the right brow, some stains and discoloration in sections, the recessed interior with its original glassy surface, otherwise intact, and an extremely rare example. The chip is barely visible as ‘Egyptian blue’ has the same bluish color at its core.

Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Mme Olga & Vincent Diniacopoulos (1910-1966). Immigrated from Alexandria, Egypt to Canada in 1951, bringing with them the largest private collection of antiquities known in Canada. In 1998, Mme Olga Diniacopoulos oversaw the dispersal of the remnants of the collection in order to raise funds for a major scholarship endowment.