face.ornament

Decorted with jacquirity seeds set in resin, pigs' teeth and shell beads. Shape: double cross.

Early: 1850 Late: 1899

L: 274 mm W: 140 mm

Melanesia Papua.New.Guinea South.East

Macgregor, William Sir

Face ornament The decoration on this face ornament is made from pigs' teeth and jequirity seeds, which are poisonous and can be fatal if eaten. Head of Sekhmet The pharaoh Amenhotep III, of the 18th Dynasty, built a chamber dedicated to the god Sekhmet in the temple of Mut at Thebes. This head is from that chamber at Karnak. Statue of a priest carrying the shrine of Asher, son of the sun. Priests were important in Ancient Egyptian religion. They supported the pharaoh's godly duties and often became very powerful; at times even becoming pharaohs themselves. 18th Dynasty Heads of a husband and wife. Both are shown wearing elaborate wigs. 18th / 19th Dynasty. Wilson collection Grave slab bearing the symbol of the deceased's trade, Kildrummy (15th cent). Mould for horn spoon from Aberdeenshire (18th-19th cent). Fleerishes (strike-a-lights) (early 19th cent). Before matches were available fires and lights were kindled in various ways. A spark had to be made that would ignite kindling, which could then be blown into a larger fire. This is one of a variety of steel 'fleerishes' or strike-a-lights. The sprung metal would produce a spark when the broad part was struck on a piece of stone or flint, while the narrow or curled ends served as a handle. The shapes are different, but the principle of operation is the same. The fleerishes were all collected in Aberdeenshire by Professor Reid in the late 19th or early 20th century. This large stone effigy of an armoured knight comes from Elgin Cathedral, Morayshire, where there were similar carvings of knights and bishops, in corbelled and embellished niches on the outside of the central tower when it was repaired after falling in 1506. The cathedral is now in ruins after being unroofed in 1567. The effigy is carved in sandstone, nearly in the round but with the back attached to a wall. It comprises the head and torso. The knight wears armour of the late 15th century, with chain mail and plate armour shown by the carving. He also has a helmet and carries a sword, pointing up and entwined with a sash, in the right hand. His left hand holds something to his chest. This is a good example of later medieval carving surviving from a building that was ruined. The detail of the armour is informative. Elgin Cathedral, the High Chuch of Moray, was known as 'the Lanthorn of the North' because of its great beauty, the supreme example of Scottish church architecture of the great building period during the 13th century. Its double aisle testified to French influence. New sculpture was carved when it was repaired in the 15th century after being burned in 1390. Following the unroofing of Elgin Cathedral in 1506, decorative carvings fell from the building and were taken away and were preserved elsewhere. This sculptured boss in sandstone is of a monstrous human male head, with an open mouth and the tongue sticking out. The hair is shown with a central parting and the beard is also carved. The sculpture is thought to be one of the fine medieval carvings from Elgin, probably from the 15th century. Horn and wooden spoons and ladles were used in the Highlands until the late 19th century, when tin ware began to supersede them. Sheep's horn was most commonly used, and it was moulded in a spoon mould. Tinkers often made these spoons, and were reluctant to disclose the method, or the moulds, to other people. This mould comprises two pieces of wood, fastened together, and the negative shape is carved, one on each piece. The horn was heated by boiling in water or in the fire, and pressed between the two sides of the mould. This is a fine and well-preserved Medieval grave slab, which would have lain horizontally over a burial. It is made of sandstone and is complete. The edges are bevelled and it carries a relief design of a ring-headed cross with a stepped foot and, to the right, a relief of a pair of hand shears of the type often used for shearing sheep. Sometimes the shears symbol on a medieval grave signifies life being cut off. The slab is small and maybe that of a child. The graveslab comes from Kildrummy Churchyard, Kildrummy, Aberdeenshire, and dates from the 14th or 15th century. It is resembles a finer, more ornate one at Kildrummy Castle. - Engraving after Joshua Reynolds portrait of John Hunter (1728-93) the eminent physiologist. Hunter, born in Fife, is credited as the 'founder of modern scientific surgery'. The original portrait, now in Royal College of Surgeons, London, was completed in 1786 and engraved in 1788. It was subsequently altered by Reynolds to reflect changes in the sitter's face due to illness. The engraving thus records the portrait in its original state. The engraving is frequently cited as Sharp's (1749-1824) master work. - 18th dynasty: 1390-1352 BC: reign of Nebmaatra Amenhotep II Temple of Mut, Karnak, Thebes, Egypt. This bust is part of one of a great number of similar statues of the lioness goddess Sekhmet produced during the reign of Amenhotep III. It has been estimated that originally there may have been around one seated and one standing statue for every day of the year. These statues probably would have had some colouring to enhance certain features. Although this example came from the Temple of Mut, recent academic research indicates that the statues may have formerly constituted part of an unusually elaborate and impressive statuary program connected with Amenhotep III's first jubilee or sed (a festival of renewal), within his Mortuary Temple, at Kom el-Hetan. Amenhotep III's sovereignty has been characterised as one of great prosperity and stability, which may have enabled his many ambitious architectural projects. The goddess Sekhmet had many facets and attributes and may be identified by various epithets. Sekhmet was closely identified with the goddess Hathor, but, more specifically, she was the goddess of war and strife, traits which may be discerned here in her forbidding and impassive countenance. However, she was also associated with medicine and healing and was invoked as a protectress, for instance against outbreaks of plague. It has also been suggested that Amenhotep III had health or dental problems which may have inspired him to erect so many statues to the goddess. A section of the text named The Book of the Cow of Heaven, dating from the New Kingdom period, concerns the sun-god Re's plan to destroy mankind as punishment for conspiring against him. The goddess Sekhmet, as the eye of Re, enforced Res will and slaughtered many people. Re relented and tricked the goddess by lacing beer with red-ochre, so it would resemble blood, and flooding the desert with this liquid. Sekhmet slaked her thirst and became drunk and so mankind was saved. Betsy M. Bryan, The statue program for the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III in S. Quirke (ed.), The Temple in Ancient Egypt; New Discoveries and Recent Research, London, 1997, pp.57-81 Richard A. Fazzini, Bust from a statue of the goddess Sekhmet, in A.K. Kapel & G.E. Markoe (eds), Mistress of the House, Mistress of Heaven: Women in Ancient Egypt, New York, 1997, pp.134-6

wood seeds resin shell pig.tooth

Macgregor, William Sir

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