Bidspirit auction | EGYPTIAN BASALT BUST OF A

EGYPTIAN BASALT BUST OF A FEMALE PHARAOH - New Kingdom, Ca. 1550 - 1070 BC. A basalt bust of female pharaoh (?) wearing a tripartite wig that frames the face and a wide usekh collar incised across the chest. The facial features are softly modelled, with almond-shaped eyes, a short nose, and a slight smile. The chin is adorned by a fragment of a royal beard. Atop the head rests the pschent crown, uniting the white crown of Upper Egypt and the red crown of Lower Egypt, fronted by a uraeus. A single vertical column of hieroglyphs is engraved on the dorsal pillar. The text read: ' Hathor, Mistess of the Sycamore and of all her places, give...' The figure is mounted on a modern display base. For similar see: Christie's, Live Auction 3403, Antiquities, Lot 29. Size: 260mm x 130mm; Weight: 3.12kg Provenance: Private London collection, acquired on the French art market, 1970s. This piece is accompanied by an authentication statement from Simone Musso, consultant curator for Egyptian antiquities at the Stibbert Museum, Florence, Italy, member of the Nuri Archaeological Expedition. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.