An Egyptian Gilt Cartonnage Mummy Mask
Sale 1035 - Antiquities and Ancient Art: A Study
May 26, 2022
10:00AM CT
Live / Chicago
Estimate
$50,000 -
$60,000
Sold for $175,000
Sold prices are inclusive of Buyer’s Premium
Lot Description
An Egyptian Gilt Cartonnage Mummy Mask
Ptolemaic Period, 304-30 B.C.
Height 18 1/2 inches (47 cm).
Provenance:
Henri Smeets, Weert, Netherlands, prior to 1975.
Published:
E. Godet, et al., A Private Collection: A Catalogue of The Henri Smeets Collection, Weert, 1975, no. 32.
Note:
From as early as Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign, ancient Egypt has enchanted the Western world. In 1922, the British Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered the intact tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun. It was the best-preserved pharaonic tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings. According to Howard, “It was a sight surpassing all precedent, and one we never dreamed of seeing.” News of the finding spread fast and sparked an immediate craze for all things ancient Egyptian. Egyptomania swept across Europe and the United States influencing the next century of art, architecture, and popular culture.
Initially a collector of 20th Century sculpture and paintings, it is undoubtable that the amazing discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb would have influenced the collecting habits of the young and still impressionable bookmaker, Henri E. Smeets (1905-1980). Indeed, Smeets would later spend a great deal of time and resources collecting important objects from ancient Egypt. In 1973, he lent a limestone head of an Amarna princess to the Brooklyn Museum, and in 1977, three years before his death, had a single owner sale of his entire antiquities collection in London, in which the sarcophagus mask seen here was included.
Apart from quality and date, the conventionalized facial features of this exquisite sarcophagus mask share stylistic traits with the mask of Tutankhamun, chief among them the gold face, calcite eyes, and lapis lazuli-colored inlays. Well-preserved and elaborately decorated with two images of Osiris, a winged scarab, and hieroglyphic inscription, this iconic mummy mask is emblematic of our modern-day fascination with the land of the ancient pharaohs and Nile River.
Condition Report
The physical condition of lots in our auctions can vary due to
age, normal wear and tear, previous damage, and
restoration/repair. All lots are sold "AS IS," in the condition
they are in at the time of the auction, and we and the seller make
no representation or warranty and assume no liability of any kind
as to a lot's condition. Any reference to condition in a catalogue
description or a condition report shall not amount to a full
accounting of condition. Condition reports prepared by Hindman
staff are provided as a convenience and may be requested from the
Department prior to bidding.
The absence of a posted condition report on the Hindman website or
in our catalogues should not be interpreted as commentary on an
item's condition. Prospective buyers are responsible for
inspecting a lot or sending their agent or conservator to inspect
the lot on their behalf, and for ensuring that they have
requested, received and understood any condition report provided
by Hindman.
Please email [email protected] for any additional information or questions you may have regarding this lot.