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Published: D. Wildung, J.-L. Domercq, Ancient Egyptian Wood Sculptures, Sycomore Ancient Art, Geneva, 2015, p. 26–27, catalog no. 7.
Expert authentication:
A copy of the expert certificate from Sycomore Ancient Art, Geneva, reference no. N1189, confirming the dating and provenance, accompanies the lot.
A copy of the signed authentication certificate by Christoph Bacher, reference number 1621, confirming the dating and provenances, accompanies the lot.
Egypt. Finely carved in lifesize proportions as a left hand, the fingers gently curled inward and the thumb resting naturally across them. The slender, elongated fingers are sensitively modeled, with carefully delineated fingernails and subtly articulated joints, lending the hand a remarkably naturalistic appearance. The center is hollow. The surface preserves extensive traces of reddish-brown pigment.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, obvious losses, traces of fire, natural age cracks, and few tiny nicks.
Provenance:
- Galerie Sycomore, Geneva, Switzerland, before 1983.
- French private collection, acquired from the above, by 1993.
- The private collection of Mr. D., Geneva, Switzerland, acquired from the above.
- Jean-Louis Domercq, Galerie Sycomore, Geneva, Switzerland, after 2001.
- Christoph Bacher, Vienna, Austria.
A copy of a notarized certificate dated 15 January 2001, confirming the provenance from Jean-Louis Domercq, accompanies the lot. An image of the present hand was also featured on a New Year’s greeting card issued by Galerie Sycomore.
Jean-Louis Domercq founded Galerie du Sycomore on the Rue des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1971, beginning a career in the antiquities trade that would span more than five decades. Over the years, he established a reputation for selecting works of notable aesthetic quality and rarity, some of which later entered major museum collections, including the Louvre and the Brooklyn Museum. In 1993, Domercq was also involved in the founding of the International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art (IADAA). That same year, the gallery relocated to Geneva, Switzerland, where it continued as Sycomore Ancient Art, specializing in antiquities.
Christoph Bacher is a prominent Viennese collector, curator, and gallerist specializing in ancient art, with a particular emphasis on the civilizations of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. After studying history at the University of Vienna, he spent almost two decades in journalism, serving as a member of the editorial board of a major Austrian weekly newspaper magazine. Alongside this career, Bacher and his wife, Rosalynn Phoa-Bacher, assembled a distinguished collection of ancient and contemporary art, curated exhibitions, and became closely involved with contemporary Asian art. Their longstanding interest in archaeology eventually led Christoph to establish Christoph Bacher Archeology and Ancient Art in Vienna in 2015, followed by a second gallery in 2017. The business has since earned an international reputation and is a member of both IADAA and CINOA.
IADAA Search certificate: Certificate no. 20:27 from 9 September 2026. A copy of this document is accompanying this lot.
Artloss Register: Certificate no. S00050577 from 4 August 2011. A copy of this document is accompanying this lot.
French Export License: Certificate d’exportation pour un bien culturel, file no. 252548, dated 19 February 2025, has been granted by the Ministre de la culture et de la communication, France. A copy accompanies this lot.
Weight: 454 g
Dimensions: Length 18.3 cm
Expert’s note
The lifesize proportions and carefully finished details indicate that the hand originally belonged to a substantial wooden statue. Its tightly curled fingers and hollowed center suggest that it was designed to grasp a separately made attribute, most likely a staff or scepter. Such separately attached elements were a practical feature of Egyptian wooden sculpture, allowing projecting parts to be carved independently and fitted to the figure. The surviving reddish-brown pigment further suggests that the hand belonged to a male figure, following the conventional Egyptian use of darker reddish tones for male skin.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 10 December 2009, lot 13
Price: USD 56,250 or approx. EUR 76,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Egyptian wood forearm from an over-lifesize figure of a man, Middle Kingdom, probably 12th Dynasty, 1938-1759 B.C.
Expert remark: Compare the similar subject, manner of carving, and materials. Note the size (40 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Artcurial, Paris, 17 December 2024, lot 10
Price: EUR 65,600 or approx. EUR 67,400 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An important Egyptian sculpted wood fragment depicting a sandaled left foot, probably New Kingdom, circa 1550–1069 BC.
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, fragmentary nature, manner of carving, and material. Note the size (22 cm).
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