Egypt, Late Dynastic and Ptolemaic to early Romano-Egyptian period, ca. 5th to 1st century BCE; Greece, Hellenistic Period, ca. 3rd to 2nd century BCE. This is a fantastic group of mold form terracotta deity heads and pharaohs from Greco-Roman and Egyptian cultures. The head upon the stand, the head with the modern suspension ring, and the other rounded head are all Eros, the Greek god of desire. The slightly cylindrical piece in low relief is of Dionysus. The last 4 are head fragments are classic Egyptian pharaohs. The head with the largest projection atop has soft remains of the double feather crown centered with a hemispherical sun disc. This type of portraiture is usually seen in mummy masks carved from wood primarily during the Late Dynastic and Ptolemaic periods. These portrait faces present with almond-shaped eyes flanking a prominent nose, full lips, and longer faces. Size of Eros on stand: 1.5" L x 1.125" W (3.8 cm x 2.9 cm); 3.3" H (8.4 cm) on included custom stand; largest pharaoh: 2.8" L x 1.25" W (7.1 cm x 3.2 cm)

Interestingly, Roman Egypt was a multicultural society, and this provided great resources for portraiture. The sculptural style and painting technique of this example, for instance, speak to Greek traditions of realism with sensitive modeling that allows for shadows and highlights on the face.

Provenance: private Corpus Christi, Texas, USA estate collection, acquired 1960s to 1970s

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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#165373

These are all fragments of larger pottery compositions. Losses to areas beneath neckline and atop heads as shown. Stable fissures and chips Softening to some facial details and light mineral encrustations. 5 of the heads contain drilled holes for mounting on a stand. One head is mounted on a stand as shown. One head has a modern metal ring added for suspension. Remains of mounting adhesive and inventory labels / written on each surface verso. Nice preservation to overall form of face.