Two Predynastic Egyptian Stone Mace Heads on Custom Stands

拍品描述

North Africa, Egypt, Predynastic period, ca. 4000–3000 BCE. Two ground stone mace heads, each bored straight through the center to fit onto a haft, shown on custom stands. The taller head is a smooth, pear-shaped form in pale gray-white stone. It rises from a broad base to a narrower crown, where the drilled socket opens cleanly. Its companion is squatter and more globular, in a coarser, pitted stone with gray and russet tones and a pronounced lip around the bore. Shaping a hard stone into a symmetrical form and drilling a long shaft hole with simple abrasives took serious time and skill. Mace heads like these probably served as weapons and as emblems of rank, and the pear-shaped type later became the standard royal smiting weapon of early Egyptian kingship. Size of larger: 2.31" H x 2.4" Diam (5.9 cm H x 6.1 cm Diam); Size of larger on included custom stand: 5.4" H (13.7 cm H). The pear-shaped mace head came into use in Upper Egypt during the Naqada II phase, replacing the earlier disc-shaped type, and soon took on meaning beyond the battlefield. On the Narmer Palette, one of the founding images of pharaonic kingship, the king raises exactly this kind of mace over a kneeling enemy. That smiting pose stayed in royal art for three thousand years. Oversized, carved ceremonial mace heads, such as those dedicated at Hierakonpolis in the names of the kings Scorpion and Narmer, show how the weapon became a symbol of royal authority. SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700. PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception. Item #204448

图片