[MSN] Egyptian art with prices fit for a Pharaoh

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Egyptian art with prices fit for a Pharaoh
April 15, 2006

WHAT price a piece of history — or ancient history, no less? Of course, 
in one sense, the deeds of the past are beyond price, but the artefacts 
of our ancestors certainly aren’t.

For anyone interested in one of the most sophisticated ancient 
civilisations, Charles Ede, a gallery in London, is currently holding 
its annual exhibition of Ancient Egyptian art, ranging from the 
pre-dynastic period in 3000BC to 100BC.

The more expensive pieces, as you would expect, command prices fit for a 
Pharaoh, but it is possible to buy a small amulet for about £100.

James Ede, who put the sale together, says: “One of the most remarkable 
aspects of Egyptian art was the wide range of materials used. The 
purposes were diverse and the materials varied. For example, in our 
exhibition alone, you can find gold inlay, hippo ivory, wood and stones.

“One of my favourite pieces is a wand made from hippo ivory. It was a 
domestic object, designed to be used by a woman. They were used for many 
purposes, such as warding off snakes and hidden dangers.” At £16,000, 
the wand is one of the more expensive items in the sale.

The quality of the work is extraordinary. “In Ancient Egypt, there was 
no word for artist — they were just considered to be craftsmen,” Mr Ede 
says. “They often worked in very hard substances, such as granite, but 
they didn’t have anything stronger than granite itself as a tool, so the 
process could take years. We have a ram’s head that was formed by honing 
it with another piece of rock over the years, after which it was 
smoothed with sand and then chiselled.”

Another very expensive piece, priced at £35,000, is a fragment from the 
side of a sarcophagus depicting two of the sons of Horus: the 
jackal-headed Duamutef and the falcon-headed Qebhsenuef. “The stance of 
the figures is classic Egyptian style,” Mr Ede says. “The head and arms 
are portrayed from the side, while the body is portrayed from the front.”

The piece dates from 1200BC to 1100BC, but Mr Ede points out that the 
style employed here has been used throughout millennia of Egyptian art.

Among the less expensive items are amulets, which were designed to 
protect their owner from specific evils and problems. Mr Ede says: “They 
were worn while the owner was alive and after death they were wrapped in 
the folds of the mummy. They are popular with collectors because they 
are not too expensive and do not take up a lot of space.”

The cheapest is £110 and depicts a sow. The forms of the figures are 
certainly intriguing: they include the lion goddess Sekhmet (£200), 
Nefertum seated on a block throne while wearing a lotus head-dress 
(£385) and a seated ibis, its beak resting on the Feather of Truth (£480).

Many of the pieces had a purpose beyond the grave. “The Egyptians 
believed that, in the afterlife, you had to perform tasks such as 
working in the fields to pay your way,” Mr Ede says. “The only trouble 
was that the Pharaohs didn’t want to. So instead they created ushabti 
figures, which were designed to do the work for them.

“The ushabtis, which are mentioned in the /Book of the Dead, /the 
Egyptian equivalent of the Bible, would be placed in the tomb and were 
often inscribed with a spell that would call upon them to work. The word 
ushabti means answer and the ushabti figures are also known as workers 
for the dead.”

But will they hold their value? Mr Ede says that, like all art, these 
pieces should be bought for the love of them, not as investments. 
Nevertheless, prices have soared over the years, particularly in the 
upper end of the market.

“If my father had bought something in the 1960s for £7, it would 
probably be worth £70 now,” he says. “But if he had bought something 
worth £600, it would now be worth £60,000. Over the past 20 to 30 years, 
prices have more than kept pace with inflation.”

/VIRGINIA BLACKBURN/

    * Charles Ede: 020-7493 4944, www.charlesede.com

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/