Bidspirit auction | EGYPTIAN LIMESTONE SLAB FRAGMENT WITH

EGYPTIAN LIMESTONE SLAB FRAGMENT WITH RELIEF OF NOBLEMAN - Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty, 2345-2181 BC) Egyptian limestone relief slab carved in low relief, preserving a nobleman shown in strict profile facing right. The figure wears a striated wig and a short rectangular chin beard, with finely incised details of the eyes and mouth. Both arms extend forward to hold a long staff or baton, set against a vertically scored field at the right margin. Above, two horizontal registers of hieroglyphs include bird and eye signs, framing the scene as a captioned portrait. The upper zone is left rough with losses, contrasting with the smoother dressed surface of the figured and inscribed areas. Scattered dark speckling and minor abrasions across the face indicate age and burial history rather than later reworking. Size: 560 mm x 460mm; Weight: 16.00 kg. Provenance: Property of a London collector; formerly with Mayfair family S. A., acquired from a London professor in the late 1970s This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. For similar see: W. Stevenson Smith, Old Kingdom Sculpture, Relief from Door-Jamb of Nefer, Boston, This piece is accompanied by a report from Simone Musso, consultant curator for Egyptian antiquities at the Stibbert Museum, Florence, Italy, member of the Nuri Archaeological Expedition.