Staroegipatska zbirka Gradskog muzeja u Somboru

Abstract

U Gradskom muzeju u Somboru čuva se mala staroegipatska zbirka, koju je poklonom nekoliko predmeta Muzeju Istorijskog društva Bačko-bodroške županije 1899, utemeljio veleposednik Janoš Fernbah. U zbirci se danas nalaze ukupno 22 kataloške jedinice: 16 amuleta (Patek, Bes, Nefertum, Anubis, Tauret najverovatnije Izida, multiplifikovano uyat oko, cvet), jedna minijaturna statueta ili pozitiv kalupa, niska od 211 perli, jedna odvojena veća perla jedna ušabti figurina sporne autentičnosti, i dve šuplje posude (?) od kamena. Veći deo predmeta izrađen je od fajansa, a njihov hronološki raspon je od Trećeg međuperioda do rimskog doba.

The first, and perhaps only, donor of Egyptian antiquities to the City Museum of Sombor was János Fernbach in 1899. The collection now consists of twenty-two pieces: one shabti figurine, sixteen amulets, one plaque with high modelled relief figure or a positive mould, two jewelers items, and two vessels (?). 1. Shabti (pl. I/1). A mummiform figurine, with arms crossed holds a three-tailed flail in each hand. Each of the flails has a rope between the handle and the tails. This is a characteristic of hoes and by no means can be used for flails. There is a vertical cartouche containing the royal prenomen Menkheperra (Thutmose III) on the chest. The shabti also bears a hieroglyphic text in seven horizontal rows (fig. 1), with a horizontal cartouche containing the royal prenomen Usermaatra Setepenra (Ramses II) in the third row. Terracotta, black colored surface, the front mould-made. H. 18 cm; max W. 5.3 cm, max Dp. 3.2 cm. Modern fake. Reg. No. 4100. 2. Nefertum (pl. I/2), walking, with an open lotus-flower headdress with tall plumes on the top and two necklace counterpoises on the sides. Wearing an uraeus and divine beard. Geometrically stylized and schematic work. Suspension was by a hole in the back-pillar. Lower half of the amulet is missing. Pale-green glazed faience. H. 1.89 cm; W. 0.83 cm, Dp. 0.82 cm. Late Period or later. Reg. No. 4098. 3. Pataikos (pl. I/3). Miniature flat-backed plaque (with irregular trapezoidal plinth) with high modeled relief figure; or a positive mould to produce other open-backed moulds. Finely modeled naked dwarf with bandy legs and hands on his hips, with a scarab on his head. Wearing a broad semi-circular collar or perhaps it is an incomplete representation of two snakes that he sometimes appears to be eating. Dark brown faience, mould made, additionally engraved to give detail. H. 1.74 cm; W. 1.0 cm, Dp. 0.62 cm. Ptolemaic Period - Roman Period. Reg. No. 4103. 4. Pataikos (pl. I/4). Only a head with cropped hair and shoulders remains intact. The rest of the amulet is missing. Suspension was by a hole through the neck with the backside formed as a low flat loop. Light-blue glazed faience, mould made. H. 1.33 cm; W. 1.3 cm, Dp. 0.88 cm. If the object is genuine it is perhaps to be dated to the Late Period. Reg. No. 4104/1. 5. Pataikos (pl. I/5). Only the head with cropped hair, pointed ears and nose, with eyes and eyebrows carefully rendered remains intact. The rest of the amulet is missing. Suspension was by a hole through the neck with the backside formed as an irregularly incised loop. Pale turquoise-blue glazed faience, hand made. H. 1.19 cm; W. 1.36 cm; Dp. 1.14 cm. The general impression casts doubt on the item's authenticity. If the object is genuine it is perhaps to be dated from the end of the Ptolemaic Period to the Roman Period. Reg. No. 4104/2. 6. Bes flat-backed, wearing plumes (pl. I/6). Provided with a small rectangular plinth. Suspension was by the hole through the width, at the base of the plumed headdress. Pale green glazed faience. The front is mould-made. H. 1.61 cm; W. 1.19 cm; Dp. 0.5 cm. Third Intermediate Period. Reg. No. 4110. 7. Bes (pl. I/7). Only the plumed headdress remains, and the rest of the amulet is missing. Three vertical incisions on both sides of the headdress. Suspension was by a hole through the width, at the base of the plumed headdress. Light green glazed faience, mould-made. H. 1.24 cm; W. 1.5 cm; Dp. 0.77 cm. Third Intermediate Period or later. Reg. No. 4111. 8. Taweret (pl. II/1). In the round, walking, with pendulous breasts and a crocodile's tail. Hands turned down as though resting on a support. Head, right hand and legs are missing. Suspension loop at the back. Green glazed faience, mould made. H. 3.9 cm; W. 1.39 cm; Dp. 1.45 cm. Third Intermediate Period. Reg. No. 4102. 9. Wedjat-eye, (pl. II/2) double sided, flat, in outline with incised details. Suspension was by a hole through the length, near the top. The short 'moustachial stripe' (the drop) is broken off. Light-green glazed faience. Glaze on both faces well-worn. L. 2.71 cm; H. 1.75 cm; Dp. 0.52 cm. Third Intermediate Period. Reg. No. 4108. 10. Wedjat-eye (pl. II/3). Openwork eye with incised details, in an oval frame with milled edge. Double sided. Suspension was by a hole through the length. Part of a frame near the 'moustachial stripe' (the drop) is broken off. Light-green glazed faience. L. 1.7 cm; H. 1.38 cm; Dp. 0.44 cm. Late Period. Reg. No. 4107. 11. Quadruple wedjat (pl. II/4; fig. 2/1). In outline only, with an oval bulge of blackish-blue glass paste in the middle. Convex underside. Pierced lengthwise. One of the markings broken off. Pale-green glazed faience. Glaze worn almost entirely off. L. 1.3 cm; H. 1.24 cm; Dp. 0.53 cm. 25th Dynasty. Reg. No. 4109. 12. Quadruple wedjat (pl. II/5; fig. 2/2). Double sided amulet. One side convex the other flat. Four horizontal grooves to represent eyes on both sides. One groove pierced through. Suspension was by a hole through the length. Pale-green glazed faience. L. 0.8 cm; H. 0.82 cm; Dp. 0.32 cm. 25th Dynasty. Reg. No. 4097/2. 13. Quadruple wedjat (pl. II/6; fig. 2/3). Double sided amulet. Milled edge. Crossed diagonal twin lines incised on both faces, as an extremely simplified and schematized version of multiple wedjat-eye. Suspension was by a hole through the length. Pale-green glazed faience. L. 1.66 cm; H. 1.2 cm; Dp. 0.54 cm. Ptolemaic period. Reg. no. 4114/1. We are grateful to W. Wendrich, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA for her help in identification of this piece: 'it is very similar to what we found at Berenike in 2000 in trench BE00-40 (finds number BE00 6443-F, BE00 6444-F) and firmly dated to the early Ptolemaic period. It is indeed a simplification of a quadruple wedjat eye, the cross divides the amulet into four sections which each stand for an eye. The serrations are the remains of the original outline of the eyes. A comparison of extant examples of multiple-wedjat-eye amulets shows that by the Ptolemaic period the representation is gradually simplified and schematized to finally develop into this extremely simplified version' (personal communication, July 18, 2003). 14. Quadruple wedjat (pl. II/7). Similar to previous. Pale-green glazed faience. L. 0.94 cm; H. 0.8 cm; Dp. 0.37 cm. Ptolemaic period. Reg. No. 4114/2. 15. Quadruple wedjat (pl. II/8). Similar to previous. Greenish-pale-blue glazed faience. L. 0.88 cm; H. 0.56 cm; Dp. 0.36 cm. Ptolemaic period. Reg. No. 4114/3. 16. Anubis (pl. II/9). Jackal-headed walking. Schematic work. Suspension was by a hole in the back-pillar. Horizontal incision into his left ear. It seems he is holding something (a flail?) in his right hand. Legs are missing. Blue glazed faience, mould made additionally incised. H. 1.61 cm; W. 0.7 cm; Dp. 0.86 cm. Late Period. Reg. No. 4106. 17. Isis (?) (pl. II/10). Walking, finely modeled female body wearing a wig. Suspension was by a hole in the back-pillar. Head and legs are missing. Pale-green glazed faience, mould made. H. 1.68 cm; W. 1.02 cm; Dp. 0.88 cm. Late Period. Reg. No. 4105. 18. Flower (pl. II/11). Conical partially hollow body. Irregular, approximately rectangular ledge on top surmounted by a suspension loop. Green glazed faience, mould made. Moderately abraded glaze. H. 1.23 cm; max D. 1.1 cm. Late Period. Reg. No. 4112. 19. Bead (pl. II/12; fig. 3/13). Irregularly shaped convex, elongated barrel with slightly cylindrical ends. Perforation poorly centered. Pale-green glazed faience. Late period. L. 2.37 cm, max D. 1.02 cm. Reg. No. 4113. 20. String of 211 beads (pl. III/1; fig. 3): 131 rings, light green, yellowish brown and blue faience; 65 tubular, blue and greenish; 5 discs, light blue; 5 multiple beads/spacers with three or two perforations, blue and greenish; 2 spheroids, blue and black; 1 double, blue; 1 flattened with an oval cross-section, green glass paste; 1 short cylinder, blue (fig. 3/1-12). All faience, except one of glass paste. L. 83.8 cm. Late Period - Roman Period. Reg. No. 4097/1. 21. Vessel (?) (pl. III/2; fig. 4/1). Cylindrical object open at both ends as a sort of a funnel. It is possible that the object is a votive offering jar or votive purification vessel, i.e. a fragment of a Late Period offering jar set which has broken off its platform, hence leaving the bottom open - we are grateful to E. Teeter, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, for this suggestion (personal communication, May 13, 2003). The bottom could later have been subjected to additional finishing. Horizontal drilling marks inside the object. Calcium sulphate, probably anhydrite. H. 6.52 cm; upper D. 2.39-2.63 cm; lower D. ca. 1.7 cm. Wall thickness ca. 2-4 mm. 26th Dynasty? Reg. No. 4099. 22. Vessel (?) (pl. III/3; fig. 4/2). Conical object open at both ends. The object is, in function similar to the previous piece. Two vertical tubular handles with no perforation. The little 'leg' at the bottom may be a remnant of the platform that was later subjected to an additional treatment. Vertical chisel marks inside the object. The rim is crude as if the manufacture of the object was never completed. Calcium sulphate, probably anhydrite. H. 5.63 cm; max upper D. (without handles) 4.3 cm. Wall thickness 3.8-7 mm. If an ancient Egyptian product, perhaps 26th Dynasty? Reg. No. 4101.