Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A remarkable gessoed and painted wood hand fragment from an Egyptian sarcophagus, exquisitely carved with elongated fingers and traces of original pigment. Once part of a larger anthropoid coffin, this sculptural element represents the high craftsmanship of Late Dynastic funerary art, when wooden sarcophagi were intricately modeled and painted to serve as eternal vessels for the soul. The hand is rendered in a naturalistic yet idealized manner, the fingers gracefully extended together in repose. Two drilled holes, likely for attachment, remain visible near the wrist area. The surface retains vestiges of white gesso and faint red and yellow ochre, pigments traditionally used to denote flesh tones in Egyptian coffin decoration. Such hands would have been placed upon the chest of the coffin, symbolically protecting the deceased and signifying their readiness for rebirth in the afterlife. Size: 6.3" L x 2.8" W x 1" H (16 cm x 7.1 cm x 2.5 cm)

The Late Dynastic Period saw a revival of older artistic conventions, blending Old Kingdom idealism with the precision and delicate detailing of later periods. This fragment, though modest in scale, embodies that continuity of belief and artistry - a quiet yet powerful echo of Egypt's enduring devotion to the eternal journey of the soul.

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-Los Angeles Modern Auctions, Los Angeles, California, USA

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#197641

Fragment of a larger piece with chipping, weathering, and abrasions commensurate with age as shown. Stable fissures and small losses in areas, as well as small spot of old, inactive insect damage. Liberal remains of gesso and pigment.