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Property from the Michel Holley Collection (lots 1-9)
Lot 6

An Egyptian bronze figure of Onuris standing on a boat

1 December 2020, 11:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £4,080 inc. premium

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An Egyptian bronze figure of Onuris standing on a boat
Late Period, circa 664-332 B.C.
Striding forward with his left leg advanced, wearing a long belted tunic, a short wig surmounted by feather crown, and a false beard, his right arm raised, his left held in front, standing on a small boat with lotus flowers at the prow and stern, on an integral plinth incised with wavy lines to indicate water, 10cm high, 6.8cm long

Footnotes

Provenance:
Michel Holley collection, Paris, acquired prior to 1972.

Onuris was a god of war and patron of the armed forces. His cult was centred in Abydos in Upper Egypt and was particularly popular in the city of Thinis. Onuris is often depicted with his right arm raised in the act of slaying an animal or enemy.

Michel Holley (b. 1924) is a noted architect, and sailing enthusiast. M. Holley studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, in the studio of Otello Zavaronia, and was elected Grand Massier in 1954. A keen member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, M. Holley took part in the 1973 Cowes Admiralty Cup with the Izenah IV. His love of the nautical inspired his collection, which though drawn from the breadth of the Greek, Roman and Egyptian cultures, is bound by a fascination with seafaring. Formed in the early 1970s, this collection comes to auction for the first time.

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