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Peter Reynaers

Wedge-shaped bone doll with large eyes and arched eyebrows. Nose and ears in slight relief. Mouth incised, carved lines to delineate the neck.
The tapered base to fit into a cloth doll body.
Commonly referred as ‘Coptic dolls’, these figurines seem to appear suddenly in Egypt and Palestine, coinciding with the Arab conquest. Some see them as toys meant to prepare girls for motherhood, other as fertility figurines. Becoming popular in all levels of society, they disappeared by the end of the 11th century, probably because of a stricter application of Islamic laws that ban figurative representations.
For related examples, cf. pl. 6, p. 306 in: Ariel Shatil, “Bone Figurines of the Early Islamic Period: The So Called ‘Coptic Dolls’ from Palestine and Egypt”, pp. 296-314 in: Selena Vitezović (ed.) Close to the Bone: Current Studies in Bone Technologies. Belgrade 2016.

Size: H. 4.7 cm
Material: Bone
Culture: Coptic Egypt, early Islamic Period, 7th to 9th century AD
Condition: Intact, nice example with yellow staining.

Provenance: Ex collection of a Manhattan, New York professor, acquired in the 1970's.
Thence art market California, February 2018 sale.
Provenance data to the buyer.

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. 
The seller also warrants that the lot was legally acquired and due diligence conducted to ensure the stated provenance. Related documents seen by Catawiki. 
Worldwide shipping with registered priority mail.
The piece may be subject to import taxes/duties.

Egypt, 7th to 9th Century AD - Egypt

Egyptian Coptic Bone Doll - H. 4.7 cm

Archaeology

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Egyptian Coptic Bone Doll - H. 4.7 cm

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