Lot 125, Auction 4/3/2026: Egyptian Copper Alloy Feather from an Atef Crown

$1,300.00

In stock

Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 30th Dynasties, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A remarkable copper alloy element from the Atef crown of the god Osiris, composed of a tall vertical feather flanked by a horizontal ram’s horn and two uraei crowned by sun disks. This piece would once have adorned the proper left side of a larger statue, likely representing Osiris, the ruler of the underworld and the eternal guarantor of resurrection. The uraei are finely detailed, with traces of red-colored glass paste inlay still visible on their bodies, while the circular sun disks above their heads were designed to hold additional inlays of colored material, now lost. The back is undecorated, while the inner side of the feather preserves two tangs for fixing, which would have secured the element into the statue’s crown. Size: 3.3″ W x 4.8″ H (8.4 cm x 12.2 cm)

Cast by the lost-wax technique as a solid form, the piece retains areas of green patina with light encrustation. The statue it once embellished may have been made of either bronze or wood, both materials commonly employed for divine figures during the Late Dynastic period. This surviving crown element speaks to the rich iconography of Osiris, combining solar imagery, serpentine guardianship, and ram symbolism, all bound within the Atef crown as a powerful emblem of kingship and afterlife dominion.

Condition: Part of a crown from a larger statue. Missing some inlays on the uraei and their sun disks. Weathering and abrasions to surface, commensurate with age. Otherwise, nice presentation with good remaining detail and rich patina throughout.

Provenance: private Keokuk, Iowa, USA collection, acquired in Orlando, Florida, USA in the late 1980s

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