古代エジプト、 欧州連合用パスポートを持つ男性の肖像が描かれた、絵付けリネンの断片 - 39.5 cm

美しいエジプト Fragment of painted linen, exceptional testament to the funerary practices and pictorial tradition of Ptolemaic Egypt, a period marked by the fusion of ancestral Pharaonic elements with new formal sensibilities that emerged after the conquest of Alexander the Great. The piece, likely from a shroud or mummy wrapping, presents a frontal representation of a male figure, executed in red pigment on undyed linen, an organic support common in Egyptian funerary art since the New Kingdom and especially significant in the Late Period and Greco-Roman era.

The face, with its broad and serene features, is defined by confident and stylized lines: the almond-shaped eyes, framed by long cosmetic lines and prominent eyebrows, directly evoke traditional Egyptian iconography linked to eternal vigilance and divine protection. The mouth, slightly curved in a restrained smile, lends the portrait a sense of calm and transcendence, more symbolic than individualized. This idealized character distinguishes these representations from the Fayum portraits proper, which would develop with greater naturalism in the Roman period.

The figure wears a carefully delineated, tripartite, striped wig that falls symmetrically on both sides of the face. Above it is a composite motif that appears to integrate uraei and a solar disk, elements traditionally associated with royalty and solar deities such as Ra. This could indicate high status or, more likely, a symbolic appropriation of divine attributes for apotropaic purposes in the funerary context. The wide usej necklace, decorated with geometric patterns, reinforces this interpretation, alluding to regeneration, protections, and cosmic order (maat). The braided beard with a curved end also recalls archaic models, similar to the divine false beard used in the iconography of deceased gods and kings.

From a technical standpoint, the painting displays a linear, almost graphic execution, with minimal tonal modulation, suggesting a workshop specializing in the production of painted shrouds and textiles rather than an individual work. The use of red pigment, possibly derived from iron oxides, is consistent with other Ptolemaic and later pieces, in which this color is associated with both vitality and regeneration, although it can also have protective connotations against malevolent forces.

The state of preservation, with losses, tears, fraying, and some discoloration, is entirely consistent with the textile's age and does not diminish its historical or aesthetic value. On the contrary, these marks of time reinforce its authenticity and allow us to appreciate the inherent fragility of ancient organic supports. The fact that the fragment is preserved framed, along with old inventory labels, adds an additional layer of modern history to the object, linking it to 20th-century collecting and museum practices.

The provenance is particularly relevant. The connection to Charles Dikran Kelekian places the work within the context of one of the most influential circuits of the Egyptian antiquities trade in New York, closely linked to institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Furthermore, its presence in the Leo and Blanche Manso collection introduces an interesting dialogue between ancient art and modern sensibilities, especially considering Leo Manso's affinity for collage and fragmentary compositions—an almost unintentional conceptual parallel with this ancient textile fragment.

In comparative terms, the piece can be related to other painted shrouds and fragments held in collections such as those of the British Museum, the Louvre, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where similar examples of linen painted with frontal figures, divine attributes, and a clear continuity of Pharaonic iconography into the Hellenistic period are documented. These works constitute a fundamental link between the ancient Egyptian tradition and the artistic transformations that would culminate in Roman encaustic portraits.
Framed: 60.8 x 34.3 cm.

Acquired from:
- Charles Dikran Kelekian, New York ( Charles Dikran Kelekian (1900-1983), son of Turkish-born art dealer Dikran Kelekian (1867-1951), was a notable collector and dealer of Egyptian art, Islamic ceramics and Coptic textiles.
- The private collection of Leo and Blanche Manso, New York, acquired from the above.
- A private collection, acquired from the above in May 2021.

-The piece includes an authenticity certificate as well as export license ( passport for European Union ).

IMPORTANT: Due to the new laws on the export of archaeological pieces, we have decided to NO LONGER sell outside the European territory for the following countries: SWITZERLAND & UNITED STATES of AMERICA.
For other destinations out of European territory: all our items will be shipped after obtaining a definitive LICENSE EXPORTATION by the Ministry of Culture of Spain. We inform our clients that it may take between 4-8 weeks. According to Spanish legislation, items sent outside the European Union are subjected to export taxes. The taxes will be added to the invoice, at the buyer's expense. These export fees are fixed on the final auction price, and the tax rate is not applied directly to the total value of the item to be exported, but rather the different percentages by sections are applied to it:
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