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Eclectic Wonders: The Collection of Timothy Egert

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Tahia Halim (Egypt, 1919-2003) Birds image 1

Tahia Halim (Egypt, 1919-2003) Birds image 2

Tahia Halim (Egypt, 1919-2003) Birds image 3

Property from the collection of a distinguished Egyptian scholar

Lot 2^*

Tahia Halim
(Egypt, 1919-2003)
Birds

Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art

13 November 2024, 14:00 GMT

London, New Bond Street

Sold for £1,664 inc. premium

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Tahia Halim (Egypt, 1919-2003)

Birds
pencil on paper, framed
signed "Tahia Halim" and dated "1962" in Arabic (lower left), executed in 1962
25 x 34cm (9 13/16 x 13 3/8in).

Footnotes

Provenance:
Property from a private collection, Cairo
Formerly in the collection of a distinguished Egyptian scholar and author
Thence by descent to the present owner

One of the foremost modern Egyptian female artists, Tahia Halim was born in 1919 in the city of Dongola in Sudan and was one of the pioneers of Egyptian modernism. Tahia was from an aristocratic Egyptian family. Halim's name is closely associated with Nubia. In 1962, she was commissioned by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture to document the region of Upper Egypt that spreads to the north of Sudan. As a result of the Aswan High Dam's construction (1960–1970), many Nubian villages such as Seboua disappeared under the Nile's waters, the populations forced to migrate.

Tahia's compositions with her wild brushstrokes and use of earthy tones, explored the grand social themes of war, rebellion, revolution and poverty. Best known for her authentic scenes depicting rural daily life and the folk customs of Southern Egypt and Northern Sudan, Halim's paintings celebrate the traditional heritage of the Nubian people. Tahia experimented with ancient materials and methods, emulating ancient Egyptians by working with papyrus and creating pigment by mixing oxides with gum Arabic and bond marrow. So captivated were the artistic circles in Egypt by her expressive exaggeration of form, Halim was offered the International Guggenheim Award for Egypt in 1958. Works by Halim were exhibited in the Egyptian Pavilion at Biennale Arte in 1956, 1960, and 1970 and 2024.

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- Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art