Sculpture, Terracotta Farao met Nemes • Mid Century • Duitsland (attrib.) • jaren '50–'60 - 17 cm - Terracotta

Wandmasker - Terracotta pharaoh in profile with nemes • marked 'W' and '2430' • Germany (attrib.) • 1950s–1960s - Terracotta

Egyptianizing pharaoh profile, hollow-cast with a velvety red-brown engobe and ready to hang. Marked W and 2430.

A wall mask of a pharaoh in profile, hollow-cast in red-brown terracotta, presumably German work from the 1950s or 1960s. The striped nemes extends into a ribbed lappet over the shoulder, and the uraeus sits as a knob on the forehead. The velvety engobe covers both front and back, so the mask looks even from every angle. The stand is for illustration; not included.

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At a glance:
Material: red-fired pottery (terracotta) with red-brown engobe, hollow-cast
Dimensions: H 17 x W 16 x D 8 cm
Weight: 385 g
Brand/mark: impressed W and hand-etched number 2430 on the back; factory not established
Dating: 1950s–1960s
Provenance: from the collection of Decaders Gallery

Description and context:
The profile looks to the left: straight nose line, closed mouth, almond-shaped eye under a tight eyebrow. The stylization follows mid-century Egyptomania. The back is flat, with a round hanging hole and two small impressions from the mold. The piece belongs to the German genre of terracotta profile masks with an Egyptian subject: Goebel released a Nefertiti in 1957 (model FX 78); Wormser Terra Sigillata and Cortendorf followed with their own Nefertiti. A pharaoh as a counterpart fits that sequence, but the mark points to none of the three. Therefore no maker is claimed.

Condition:
Good. Earring/earlobe: an engobe slip flake of a few millimeters, beneath which the lighter glaze is visible, stable. Back: a white residue spot and some superficial scratches, likely from earlier hanging, with no damage to the ceramic. The two oval impressions beside the hanging hole are mold-made. No hairlines; no restoration visible under daylight inspection. See the photos.

In the interior:
Fits mid-century, Hollywood Regency, or eclectic interiors, loose or next to a Nefertiti in the same color. In oblique light the stripes of the nemes are sharply defined against the smooth cheek.

Shipping:
Professionally packed in a sturdy box with padding, for fragile objects a double box. Always insured shipping with Track and Trace. See feedback from previous buyers.

Attribution and sources:
The factory is not established and is not claimed. Wormser Terra Sigillata, the supplied description, is ruled out: that manufactory printed its name in full and numbered its masks with three digits. Goebel marks with an FX number and bee mark, Cortendorf, Goldscheider, and Karlsruher Majolika with a printed factory name. The loose W with 2430 remains open; Germany, based on the genre, is the most likely origin.

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