Bidspirit auction | EGYPTIAN FALCON MUMMY WITH PAINTED

EGYPTIAN FALCON MUMMY WITH PAINTED SARCOPHAGUS - Late Period, Ca. 664 - 332 BC Egyptian wooden coffin for a mummified falcon, Late Period, carved in compact mummiform with a falcon head. Coated in a glossy black surface, with fine yellow linear detailing on the striped headdress and along the body The face is defined by prominent circular eyes and a projecting beak, giving the lid a markedly iconic character. The reverse preserves areas of exposed wood beneath the coating, revealing the underlying carpentry and grain A long vertical seam and slight side openings indicate a two-part construction intended to accommodate the wrapped bird. Raised on an integral rectangular plinth, the piece belongs to the wider tradition of votive animal cult equipment in first-millennium BC Egypt. Size: 155mm x 480mm; Weight: 2.94kg. Provenance: Private UK collection, acquired on the French art market; ex Private French Collection 1970s. This piece is accompanied by the French Export passport. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. For similar see: British Museum number EA41552; the Michael C. Carlos Museum. 1958.063 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.