A BRONZE AND LIMESTONE INLAID WOOD SARCOPHAGUS MASK, PTOLEMAIC PERIOD

Egypt, circa 332-30 BC. The facial features finely carved and highlighted with polychrome gesso decoration, including white on the face, the eyes inlaid in limestone with the pupils painted black, the eyebrows and eyelines inlaid in bronze, wearing a tripartite wig, all above a long slender neck.

Provenance: From an old private collection in Germany, acquired in London before 1960. With Galerie Günter Puhze: Kunst der Antike, Freiburg, Germany. The private collection of Erika Krautkrämer, acquired from the above in 2014, and thence by descent within the same family. A copy of a signed certificate of authenticity from Galerie Günter Puhze: Kunst der Antike, Freiburg, Germany, dated 27 January 2014, confirming the dating and provenance above, accompanies this lot. Erika Krautkrämer (1932-2022), together with her husband, Dr. Herbert Krautkrämer (d. 2003), was instrumental in the foundation of WHU: Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany. Shortly after World War II, Dr. Herbert Krautkrämer and his brother Josef founded a company for non-destructive material testing, creating Germany’s first pulse-echo ultrasonic device—a global success that lives on in Waygate Technologies (Baker Hughes). As early as the early 1980s, Dr. Herbert Krautkrämer supported the founding of WHU – both morally and financially. Erika Krautkrämer shared her husband's convictions and continued their shared commitment with personal closeness and keen interest after his death. She assumed responsibility for the Campus Krautkrämer Foundation and, with great personal commitment, realized the student residence hall that opened in 2005.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, commensurate with age. Obvious losses, natural imperfections including splits and splinters, rubbing and flaking to pigment and gesso—some with associated touchups, small chips, expected weathering, encrustations, and soiling.

Weight: 4,328 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 37 cm (excl. stand), 43 cm (incl. stand)

Mounted on an associated stand. (2)

Sarcophagus masks were often carved in wood and decorated with polychrome gesso, a plaster-like medium used for painting. The eyes and eyebrows were inlaid with materials such as limestone and bronze, creating lifelike features. These masks served to protect the head of the deceased and provide a recognizable image for the soul in the afterlife. Their combination of carving, inlay, and painted surfaces reflects both artistry and religious function in Egyptian burial practice.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 12 June 2002, lot 268
Price: USD 107,550 or approx. EUR 164,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Egyptian wood mask from a sarcophagus, New Kingdom, Dynasty XVIII-XIX
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and similar form. Note the smaller size (20 cm) and the lost inlays.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s London, 5 October 2000, lot 168
Price: GBP 21,150 or approx. EUR 58,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: The upper part of a large Egyptian wood anthropoid sarcophagus lid, New Kingdom, Dynasty XVIII-XIX
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and similar form. Note the size (49.5 cm).