Provenance Information

Acquired by Konstantinos Notaras, London, at Portobello Road market, London, ca. 1969-1970. Consigned by Mr. Notaras to Bonhams, London, April 28, 2010, lot 20. Sold to Rhea Gallery, Zurich. Sold by Rhea Gallery, Zurich, to the Museum.

Exhibition Information

The work was exhibited in connection with the Bonhams auction.

Publication Information

Bonhams catalogue, London, April 28, 2010, lot 20.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Informed judgement that works were outside of the country of modern discovery before 1970

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

The work has a provenance established to ca. 1969-1970, when it was purchased in a London street market, Portobello Road, but the Metropolitan Museum has been unable to ascertain the exact date of that purchase. The work is mounted as a European tie-pin in a setting of 9 carat gold specifically designed to hold it. The style dates the mounting to a period pre ca. 1920; the pin is contained in a fitted box of the same date embossed with the name of an English jewelry retailer. The inlay was sold at public auction in 2010 so mounted and boxed, and is published with an illustration in the auction catalogue. Precious-stone inlays of this size, quality, type and date are extremely rare. The piece both broadens the range and deepens a constructional understanding of the Museum’s existing collection of largely intact Egyptian Middle Kingdom jewelry.