Sejmet; Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, c. 1070-664 B.C.

Sejmet; Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, c. 1070-664 B.C.
Fayenza.
Provenance: Georges Savès collection.
Measurements: 6 cm (height).

Fayenza statuette of round bulk, representing the goddess Sekhmet seated, with her hands on her lap, lioness head and crown with the solar disk and the uraeus or protective snake. Egyptian goddess of war and revenge, Skehmet was the daughter of Ra and, together with her husband Ptah and her son Nefertum, formed the triad of Memphis. She is often identified with Hathor and is also related to Bastet, which would be its peaceful aspect. She is represented as we see here, with the body of a woman and the head of a lioness, although with mane, generally crowned with the solar disk and the uraeus, generally also carrying the Ankh and a papyrus or lotus flower, as well as several arrows. She was also depicted as a crocodile-headed woman or as the eye Udyat. Although she was a goddess feared for her anger, if she could be appeased, she granted the vigor and energy to overcome weakness and disease. She was also considered an ally and protector of her father Ra, since she killed those who dared to confront or attack the monarchy, both divine and earthly. In her funerary aspect she was known as "the one who restrains darkness", and was also called "expert in magic" as a healer, and "goddess of love" for provoking passions.

This piece comes from the collection of Georges Savès (1908-1985), a French numismatist and collector with a deep vocation for archaeological study. Heir to a family tradition of collecting, he devoted himself fully to historical and numismatic research since the 1950s, especially on Toulouse and Gallic coins. Throughout his life, he assembled an eclectic collection of archaeological, ethnographic and artistic pieces, enriched in 1966 with the acquisition of part of the Roger Bédiat collection. Author of specialized studies, his legacy remains a reference in the academic and patrimonial fields.