Description Relief of Isis
Yellowish patinated limestone, a minimal pressure mark at the tip of the nose, otherwise in excellent condition
Height appx. 205 mm, width appx. 240 mm, depth up to appx. 32 mm
New Kingdom, XIXth dynasty around 1300-1250 BC (dated by Dr. André Wiese, Antikenmuseum Basel),
Provenance: Jean-David Cahn, Basel, from an old French private collection
(Mr. M., Paris), 2008, private collection Austria
The enchanting fragment shows a slightly cylindrical curved surface and originates obviously from a column of an Isis sanctuary, or from a tomb, since the inscription also refers to Isis as the Mistress of the West. She wears a strap dress, the three-piece wig of the gods and fine necklaces.
Where the fragment comes from is unknown, the rather coarse-grained limestone, which is very different from the fine Theban one, might suggest a place in Middle or Lower Egypt.
Expert: Dr. Helmut Satzinger, Professor of Egyptology, University of Vienna
Former Keeper of ‘The Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection’,
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
RefEgy5320