An ancient Egyptian wooden figure of a woman is set to cross the block in an antiquities auction at Christie’s on December 6.
The piece dates to circa 2500-2055 BC, the period of the late Old Kingdom.
The figure remains in incredible condition despite its advanced age
It measures 28 inches in height and may well have been commissioned by the very woman it represents.
Egypt was an egalitarian society for much of its history and women were able to become independently wealthy.
It’s beyond extraordinary that a wooden object has survived intact over the millennia.
Antiquities specialist Laetitia Delaloye explained: “It’s all to do with the miracle that is the Egyptian desert.
“The droughts enabled the preservation of wooden statue.”
The lot is valued at £250,000-350,000 ($337,985-473,179).
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