A 7½in (19cm) high ancient Egyptian sculpture of a falcon made the day’s highest price when bidding sailed past a $7000-9000 guide to end up reaching $75,000 (£56,820) in Chicago on November 18.
The falcon, which dates from the Ptolemaic period (304-30BC), is carved from granodiorite, an igneous rock, and came from the collection of Dr Hernan D Ruf, Florida, one of a number of designated consignments in the sale.
Acquired at West Palm Beach in Florida in 2011, prior to that it had a provenance to Gustave Jéquier (1868-1946), Switzerland; Mathias Komor (1909-84), New York; and Mr and Mr Myron Mayer, New York, June 19, 1976 (with invoice copy).
Keld collection
Alabaster canopic jar dating from the reign of Tuthmosis III, 1553-1536BC – $70,000 (£53,030) at Hindman.
A second high-flyer from the sizeable section of Egyptian antiquities came from another designated property: the collection of Pamela Keld of New York.
This was an 11¾in (30cm) high alabaster canopic jar dating from the reign of Tuthmosis III, 1553-1536BC which had not only survived intact but had also retained much of its original pigment and a five-line inscription relating to a scribe named Apis. It had a provenance back to a private collection in France in the 1960s and then to Antiquarium Ltd, New York, 2012 (with invoice and Art Loss Register no. S00053727).
The jar sold for $70,000 (£53,030) against an estimate of $30,000-50,000.
Bronze feline
Egyptian bronze of a cat dated to the 26th dynasty (664-525BC) representing the Egyptian goddess Bastet – $62,500 (£47,350) at Hindman.
Several Egyptian bronzes of cats from the Ruf and Held collections also featured in the sale.
Much the most expensive of these was a large version dated to the 26th dynasty (664-525BC) representing the Egyptian goddess Bastet in feline form. The 7½in (19cm) high bronze, shown wearing a wadjet amulet tied about the neck and retaining some of the inlay to its eyes, came from Keld’s collection.
Prior to this it had a 1950s provenance to a French private collection; the Royal Athena Galleries, New York, November 8, 1993; a New York Private Collection, and the Antiquarium Gallery from March 5, 2014 (with invoices & Art Loss Register no. S00084917). It sold for $62,500 (£47,350) against a guide of $80,000-120,000.
