**Originally Listed At $3000**

Ancient Near East, The Levant with Egyptian influence, early Iron Age, ca. 1500 to 1200 BCE. A rare find! Hand-molded from clay, this is a rounded coffin lid bearing the naturalistic face of a man with pronounced almond eyes, eyebrows, and two large ears that frame the face. His arms fold across his chest. The face is lifelike (though the ears are very large!), and each finger is clearly delineated. He wears a headdress or wrapping of some kind, and he was probably modeled to resemble the deceased individual whose grave he represented. The body of the vessel is tall and rounded, tapering near the top. Size: 12.75" W x 19.35" H (32.4 cm x 49.1 cm); 21.2" H (53.8 cm) on included custom stand.

Anthropoid coffins came from the Egyptian presence in the Levant during the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age, and are a unique synthesis of ideologies from the two locations. They have been found at cemetery sites like Beth Shean, Lachish, and Tell el-Far'ah, part of graves containing funerary offerings of ceramic, jewelry, and bronze that can be sourced to Cyprus, Mycenae, Egypt, Phoenicia, and Canaan, stressing the international nature of life in this area even during the ancient period. The Egyptian influence can be seen in the shape of the man's face, but it is still unclear if these coffins were meant for people of Egyptian descent.

Provenance: private New York, USA collection; ex private Paris, France collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#127142

Piece is a fragment as shown. One hand and upper portion have been repaired and restored, with overpainting along the repair lines.