In last week’s blog post, I presented the back panel of a Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figure (W2052). This is one of twenty-nine objects in the Egypt Centre collection, which have been categorised as Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figures: twenty figures and nine headdresses. While photographing some of these items last month, I was particularly intrigued by one of the headdresses (W2062). The object is a typical example of the Ptolemaic Period and may not seem to be overly exciting. It is made of wood, which is covered in a layer of painted gesso. Measuring 202mm in height, 169mm wide, and 22mm thick, the headdress was clearly part of a large Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figure (fig. 1). The ram’s horns are painted black, while the double features have blue, red, and green decoration on a cream background. A yellow sun disc is painted on the front.
Fig. 1: Ptah-Sokar-Osiris headdress (W2062) |
So what makes this headdress so interesting? Well, when
checking the data on the Egypt Centre’s catalogue, I noticed that it had an
unidentified number 118 associated with it. As the catalogue had no further
details about this number, I checked the object file to see if there was
anything additional, or even if the label with this number still existed. Fortunately,
it did, with the style indicating to me that it was a lot number (fig. 2). This
is not surprising since much of the Egypt Centre collection originated from
that of Sir Henry Wellcome, who purchased innumerable Egyptian objects at
auction for over three decades until his death in 1936.
Fig. 2: Archives from the object file, including lot label |
With no further details on the label, surely it would prove
difficult to identify the specific auction? While the label may seem somewhat
generic, I knew it was a type commonly found on objects from the 1907
collection of Robert de Rustafjaell, which was auctioned by Sotheby’s.
Therefore, I checked lot 118 in the auction catalogue to see if the description
matched. Bingo! My hunch proved accurate, with the catalogue describing the lot
as “Another of similar size, the base shorter [Plate VIII]”. The preceding lot
was a complete Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figure, which also happens to be in the Egypt
Centre collection (W2001C).
Most exciting is that a photo of W2062 is shown in the plates, but as a
complete Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figure rather than just the crown of a figure (fig.
3)!
Fig. 3: Plate VIII showing lots 117 (W2001) and 118 |
I checked the Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figures in the Egypt Centre
collection to see if any matched the plate, without success. Knowing that the
Egyptian material in the Wellcome collection was dispersed to several UK
institutions, I messaged Dr Ashley Cooke, the lead curator of antiquities in
the World Museum
Liverpool, to ask if the Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figure was in Liverpool. I
received a reply within an hour, with Ashley suggesting that it could be
acquisition number -. This object is a tall and slender
Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figure on a base, which, stylistically, comes from Akhmim
(fig. 4). A comparison between the photos provided by Ashley and the plate
confirm a perfect match. Readers to this blog are probably wondering about the
Sokar-hawk, which is shown on top of the base on the Liverpool object but not
in the auction catalogue. It turns out that this Sokar-hawk is a recent
addition, which carries a different acquisition number.
Fig. 4: Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figure in Liverpool (1973.1.686) |
So how and when did the crown become separated from the
figure and base? While it is not possible to say with any precision, it can be
determined that this happened sometime between 1907 and 1927. The Wellcome
number associated with the figure in Liverpool is A61348 (fig. 5), which
describes it as a “STATUETTE. Wood, carved, 20" high 4½" wide on base
12¾ " x 4 Painted with heiroglyphics and inscription. Egyptian.” This
roughly matches the measurements of the Liverpool figure, indicating that the
headdress in Swansea was no longer associated with it when the object was
catalogued at the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum in 1927.
Fig. 5: Wellcome slip |
This blog post highlights the importance of collaboration
between museums with Wellcome material, which can often lead to understanding
our collections better and even virtually reuniting objects. I am most grateful
to Ashley for providing information and photos of the figure in Liverpool.
Bibliography:
Bosse-Griffiths, Kate 2001. Problems with Ptaḥ-Sokar-Osiris
figures: presented to the 4th International Congress of Egyptology, Munich,
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Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
Raven, Maarten J. 1978–1979. Papyrus-sheaths and
Ptah-Sokar-Osiris statues. Oudheidkundige mededelingen uit het
Rijksmuseum van Oudheden 59–60, 251–296.
Raven, Maarten J. 1984. Papyrus-sheaths and Ptah-Sokar-Osiris
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gebied van Oud-Egyptische iconografie, 251–296, xi. Leiden: Rijksmuseum van
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Rindi Nuzzolo, Carlo 2014. Two Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figures from Akhmim in the Egyptian
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Rindi Nuzzolo, Carlo 2017. Tradition and transformation: retracing Ptah-Sokar-Osiris
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ancient Egypt: proceedings of the conference held at the University of Liège,
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Sotheby,
Wilkinson, & Hodge. (1907) Catalogue of a collection of antiquities
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Rustafjaell, esq. F.R.G.S, which will be sold by auction, ... on Monday, the
9th of December, 1907, and the following day. London: Sotheby, Wilkinson
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