An Egyptian granite portrait bust of a shaven-headed priest stars in Bonhams’ 204-lot sale of antiquities in New Bond Street on July 6.
Carved during the Late Period (c.610-525BC), the 6in (16cm) high piece belongs to the so-called ‘egg-head’ type of sculptures, depicting priests of religious cults with shaved heads. It has a distinctive slice of speckled pink granite to the back of the head.
The bust has passed through the hands of the Paris-based dealer Nicolas Koutoulakis in the 1950s, and latterly sold at Drouot in Paris in 2001 to the private vendor here. It is estimated at £60,000-80,000.
Among the most revered of all ancient Greek sculptors was Polykleitos. A native of Argos in the Peloponnesus, the sculptor explored theories of rhythm and proportion in sculpture during an artistic career that flourished c.460-420 BC.
None of Polykleitos’ original works are known to have survived, but several are recognised in Roman copies, such as this torso of the ‘Dresden Youth’ coming up at Christie’s antiquities sale on July 5.
Acquired before 1988 for the Bern collection of ancient art academic Elsa Bloch-Diener, the 2ft 3in (67cm) piece is estimated at £100,000-150,000.
