Bilder Bernard de Montfaucon (1655–1741) – Egyptian Ushabti Figures and Funerary Statues – Engraving (1719–1724)

Beskrivning

This engraving depicts a collection of seven ancient Egyptian funerary artifacts, primarily ushabti figures and small sarcophagi, titled Isis. The upper register features three large, standing ushabti figures in traditional mummiform pose with crossed arms holding ritual tools, their bodies covered in horizontal registers of hieroglyphic inscriptions. Below them, the lower register displays smaller variations of funerary statues, including two slender anthropoid figures and a small bust or head emergent from a base. These artifacts are presented as scientific records of ancient Egyptian burial customs and religious iconography, documented with high fidelity to preserve their symbolic and epigraphic details. This illustration was published as a technical plate for L'antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures, a monumental work aimed at documenting the material culture and customs of the ancient world through visual evidence.

Bernard de Montfaucon was a French Benedictine monk and a pioneering scholar who is widely considered one of the founders of modern archaeology and paleography. His most famous contribution, the multi-volume L'antiquité expliquée, was an exhaustive effort to categorize ancient civilizations using thousands of engraved plates, effectively creating the first pictorial encyclopedia of the classical world. Montfaucon’s work was revolutionary in its use of visual documentation as a primary historical source, influencing generations of historians and art collectors. His dedication to systematic research and the preservation of historical artifacts through illustration helped bridge the gap between early antiquarianism and scientific archaeological study.

Artist or Maker: Bernard de Montfaucon .

Dimensions: Approximately 42 cm x 25 cm.

Medium: Engraving .

Date: 1719–1724

Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.