An Egyptian Bronze Head of a Cat

Late Period, 26th-30th Dynasty, 664-343 B.C.

Height 6.7 cm (2 5/8 inches).

Property from the Estate of Andrew Cunningham Ware (1945-2024)

Provenance:

Estate of a Private Collection, United States, acquired 1970-1989.

O. Rundle Gilbert, New York, acquired from the above, 7 November 1974.

Bonhams, London, Antiquities, 28 October 2009, Lot 110.

Andrew Cunningham Ware (1945–2024) was an avid scholar and amateur Egyptologist whose passion for the ancient world led him to study under the renowned French Egyptologist, Christiane Desroches Noblecourt. Splitting his time between France and South Florida, Ware assembled a diverse collection that reflected his wide-ranging intellectual interests, from ancient Egyptian artifacts to historical documents from the French and Russian Revolutions. His collection, rich with family heirlooms, also features pieces acquired through his travels and academic pursuits. Ware’s family background also adds depth to the collection. He was the great-grandson of Andrew Woodbury Preston, one of the founders of the United Fruit Company. This connection to the world of business subtly informs the collection, where objects of personal significance are intertwined with intellectual curiosity.

Inspected under UV light and 10x loupe. Notable tear to fragmentary edge at proper front neck line. other losses including to proper right ear and hole at back of head. Some significant corrosion with varying patina to surface including malachite. Proper left ear with pierced hole. Overall in fine and attractive condition. See additional images. Affixed to wood stand. Height with stand 14.3 cm (5 5/8 inches).

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Jacob Coley

Senior Vice President, Head of Department, Antiquities and Ancient Art

[email protected]312 280 1212

Mr. Coley joined the Antiquities department in 2021 after working as Managing Director in the Ancient Art department at Colnaghi, the world’s oldest commercial art gallery, where he helped to establish the Ancient Art department and launched Colnaghi New York in 2017. Prior to Colnaghi, Mr. Coley was in the Greek and Roman Art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Coley holds a B.A. from the University of Miami and an M.A. in Art Market from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and he earned an art-appraisal certificate from New York University.

Antiquities and Ancient Art: Including Property from the Estates of Andrew C. Ware and Iris C. Love

An Egyptian Bronze Head of a Cat

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