Ibis. Ancient Egypt and later

Ibis. Ancient Egypt and later.
Period head and legs. Later body.
Bronze.
Provenance: Georges Savès collection.
Measurements: 6 x 7,3 x 2,8 cm.

The ibis are birds considered sacred in Ancient Egypt, as they were assimilated to the god Thot, the god peacemaker of the conflicts between Horus and Seth and healer of the eye of Horus. It was also associated with one of the elements of the human being, the Aj, which is like the light of the body, represented by this bird.

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.