16 An Egyptian openwork plaque depicting the god Hapi, Late Dynastic Period, 26th Dynasty. Reign of Amasis, 570-526 BC. 23.2cm x 8.6cm


Provenance: Found in Memphis c.1900-01.


Private collection Switzerland, acquired 1960s and thence by descent.


Openwork plaque with incised details depicting Hapi holding offerings in his outstretched arms (head missing). The Nile god shown with large belly and characteristic pendulous breasts,


wearing a loin cloth and broad collar. He moves to the right holding offerings of water vessels, lotus flowers and papyrus fronds. Beneath the offering tray a royal cartouche, the hieroglyphs now illegible, probably defaced in antiquity.


This plaque was part of the hoard of bronze objects discovered by Daninos Pacha.


(excavations in Memphis, 1900-1901) and other ‘diggers’ before him. They were, however, originally from Thebes as Osiris “who resides in Thebes” and the God’s wives of Amun are mentioned on some of them. According to G. Daressy, they were probably looted during the Persian invasion (525 B.C). The panels were probably set in offering stands or similar pieces of temple furniture. After the discovery, some of these objects went to the Cairo museum and some were sold on the art market with examples eventually acquired by a number of museums including Baltimore, Boston and the Louvre. This example belongs to a series within the larger group inscribed with the name of Pharaoh Amasis. It would have been set in a piece of sacred furniture kept in the chapel of Osiris Wennefer Neb Djefau at Karnak.


Literature: For discussion of the group and illustrations of other examples see G. Daressy, ‘Une trouvaille de bronze à Mit Rahineh’, Annales du Service des Antiquités 3, 1902, p.141. Also Laurent Coulon, ‘Les Plaques de Bronze Trouvées à Memphis par Daninos’ in ‘Egypte, Afrique and Orient’, no.56, pp.53-64. A similar example from the Ernest Brummer collection was sold in his sale at Sotheby’s London, November 1964, lot 53. £800-1,200*


16 8 www.roseberys.co.uk


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