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Exhibited: TEFAF Maastricht, 2022.
Expert authentication:
A copy of the expert certificate from Sycomore Ancient Art, Geneva, confirming the dating and provenance, accompanies the lot.
A copy of the signed authentication certificate by Christoph Bacher, reference number 1622, confirming the dating and provenances, accompanies the lot.
Egypt. Finely modeled, the anthropomorphic deity standing on a rectangular base in a dynamic pose, with the left leg slightly advanced as if in forward motion. The arms hang lowered alongside the elongated torso and swollen abdomen, suggestive of pregnancy. The well-defined animal head, combining features of a lion and a hippopotamus, is characterized by a pair of almond-shaped eyes and a prominent muzzle with a gaping mouth revealing its dentition. Pointed ears are set back and emerge from a thick mane that cascades over the shoulders and chest. The figure is fitted with a vertical support at the rear, set with a small loop for suspension.
Condition: Good condition with ancient wear, expected firing irregularities, signs of prolonged burial, the feet reattached, and the base with chips to one corner.
Provenance:
- Collection of Countess de Tudert, 27 December 1977.
- Galerie Sycomore, Paris, France, acquired from the above.
- French private collection, Paris, acquired from the above.
- Collection of Jean-Louis Domerq, since 1993.
- The private collection of Christoph Bacher, Vienna, acquired from the above.
The stand with an old label, ‘C.P.’. A copy of the invoice from Sycomore, on 27 December 1977, confirming the provenance above, accompanies the lot. A copy of the provenance letter signed by Jean-Louis Domerq, on 31 October 2025, reference number N1262, confirming the provenances above, accompanies the lot. A copy of a notarized certificate, on 15 December 2003, confirming the Jean-Louis Domercq provenance, accompanies the lot. An image of the present figure appeared on a New Year’s greeting card issued by Galerie Sycomore. A copy of the card accompanies the present lot.
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. 19:47 from 9 September 2026. A copy of this document is accompanying this lot.
Weight: 196 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 6.8 cm (excl. stand), 9.9 cm (incl. stand)
Mounted to a modern bronze stand. (2)
Taweret and other closely related goddesses emerged from the blending of leonine, hippopotamus, crocodilian, and human attributes. These animals were among the most formidable species known in ancient Egypt, and the combination of their strengths was believed to produce a particularly potent deity and protective amulet.
Taweret had primary responsibility for the protection of women during pregnancy and childbirth. She is frequently portrayed standing upright and leaning on a ‘sa’ sign, a hieroglyphic motif from ancient Egypt that denoted protection and magical safety. Her representation also appeared on tomb walls and funerary equipment, where it served an apotropaic function, safeguarding the deceased during the process of rebirth.
Fun fact! A Taweret inspired character starred in the Marvel superhero TV series Moon knight.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related faience Taweret amulet, dated Late Period, 5.1 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 04.2.365. Compare a closely related faience Taweret amulet, dated Saite period, 5.6 cm high, in the Powerhouse Collection, object number 196A.
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