Ancient Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A wonderful collection of 24 ancient applique ornaments shaped from sheets of high-quality (98.4%) gold in the form of gods. Three eight pointed star or flowers are placed at the center and ends. The rest are alternating depictions of the dwarf god Bes' head and the falcon god Horus. Bes' face is in repousse showing his beard, feather headdress, open mouth, and perked lion's ears. Bes is perceived as fearsome, and his grotesque face was supposed to ward off all dangerous creatures. Horus, the tutelary deity, was oftentimes depicted as a falcon-headed man donning a pschent symbolizing his reign over the entire kingdom of Upper and Lower Egypt; however, he was also represented as a falcon as we see in this beautiful example. Bes is pierced through the top and lower corners for suspension, and Horus has three piercings through eye, wings, feet, and tail for attachment. The primary purpose of these appliques was for protection, and they were put on furniture like beds and headrests or worn on the person as amulets, or in mummy wrappings for safe travels into the afterlife. All appliques are mounted on a modern panel with modern wire as a wonderful display piece. Size of single applique: 0.6" L x 0.375" W (1.5 cm x 1 cm); size of strand: 11" L x 0.5" W (27.9 cm x 1.3 cm); quality of gold: 98.4% (equivalent to 23K+)

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world’s largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.

Provenance: private New York, USA collection; ex-private New York, New York, USA collection, acquired from Ariadne Gallery, New York, New York, USA in the early 1990s

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#164992

Bending of forms and nicks to peripheries. Loss to the head of one bird applique. Light mineral deposits and patina. All are attached to a modern acrylic panel with modern wire. Cannot be taken off panel to weigh.