Happy New Year from Sadigh Gallery!

Last month, the world welcomed its new era according to the ancient Mayan calender. And now as we step into the new year 2013, we would like to wish you happiness and good fortune.

After the Christmas and New Year celebrations, New York City suddenly seems quieter. With January's brisk and freezing wind rush down the skyscrapers and hassle the pedestrians on the streets, we are reminded repeatedly that the long and cold winter is ahead of us.

In midst of this long winter, Sadigh Gallery will continue to introduce various new bargain deals from our gallery to keep the antiquity collectors' passion burning! Please refer to our website for the new antiquities collections and discounted items.  --> http://www.sadighgallery.com 

Egyptian Animals and Animal Mummification

The Ancient Egyptians kept many animals as household pets, including various birds, cats, dogs, monkeys, baboons, and even mongooses.  Some animals, like monkeys, were kept for entertainment, while the others (such as dogs, and raptors like hawks and falcons) to help people hunt for food.  It appears that ancient Egyptians greatly treasured these pet animals, as in the tomb paintings the animals and owners are often depicted together.  Even the pets were mummified along with their owners and placed in the same tomb, so they could join their masters afterlife.

Ancient Egyptians also believed that animals were sacred and they were embodiment of their gods. Often times, when animals died, their bodies were mummified in the similar ways as human mummification procedure and were buried in the temples to honor their gods.  Sometimes an animal was even killed for the sole purpose of presenting it to the gods, for the act of offering its body to the honored gods was considered sacred by ancient Egyptians.

It is no miracle that the mummified animals are still remaining to this day: the embalmment techniques used on the animal mummification by ancient Egyptian are believed to be about as sophisticated as procedures performed on regular human mummification. The chemical analysis by the experts show that in order to prevent decays in hot climate, they first drained out water by separating the organs and treating the body with sea salt.  Then, they applied natural products such as animal fats, beeswax, sugar gum, bitumen, and tree resins, before wrapping it with linen bandages. 

Various sorts of mummified animals have been discovered up to this date, including aforementioned pet animals such cats, monkeys, dogs, and birds. Even mummified alligators, lizards, fish, and beetles have been found. 

Mummified vulture, pictured here, is currently being showcased at Sadigh Gallery as one of our featured collections.  It is an extremely rare piece, with its wings outstretched and covered with linen. Sadigh Gallery acquired this valuable piece from a private collection.  It comes mounted in a wooden box frame with a removable acrylic cover.

The vulture was typically associated with the goddess Nekhebet who was the patroness of the city of El-Kab in Upper Egypt. The vulture was also an important symbol of the goddess Mut.  The bird was often believed to be feminine symbol, as people observed its maternal characteristics in protecting its young and its close bonding with its mate.  Pairing, bonding, protecting, loving are essential attributes associated with a vulture.

Some other animal mummies that are present at Sadigh Gallery Ancient Art include falcons and cats.  For any details on these animals, please contact the gallery or refer to our website www.sadighgallery.com.

Magical Powers Egyptians Believed in Servants for the Afterlife

Among the extensive Egyptian artifacts that we carry here at Sadigh Gallery, the magical burial statues known as “Ushabtis” are all-time favorite of our clients.  Here, we would like to share the intriguing historical story of these artifacts.

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One of the most interesting and collectable artifacts from ancient Egypt is the ushabti, the magical statue found in tombs. Magic played an important role in the daily life of the ancient Egyptians. Part of their magic was the belief that amulets and statues would protect them from perils, both real and imagined, in their daily lives and in the next world.

During Egypt’s Middle Kingdom period, small statues began to be placed in the tombs of the deceased. These statues were intended to be servants which would magically come to life, and do any unpleasant chore the deceased might be called upon to perform in the afterlife. 

Because the daily life of ancient Egyptians centered around agriculture, they viewed the next world as primarily agrarian. They believed that the deceased would have to plant the fields and maintain irrigation canals, so the little statues, buried in the tombs, took on the appearance of field workers. They were mummiform, so as to be identified with Osiris, the god of the dead, but their hands were protruding from the bandages so they could do the work.

At first, the statues were inscribed with only the name of the deceased, but soon they were inscribed with magical spells as well to assure that they could really come alive to do their chores. A typical spell would be:

"O shawabti, if the deceased is called upon to do work in the next world, answer "Here I am!" Plough the fields, fill the canals with water and carry the sand of the east to the west."

The word "shawabti" apparently referred to the persea-tree out of which these figures were occasionally made. Another name for them was "usabti" which meant "answerer". The idea was that when the deceased was called to work, the figure would answer for him. The statues are called by both names today.

Since ushabtis were provided to do the work, it became desirable to have many of them. During the New Kingdom it was common to have hundreds placed in the more elaborate tombs.

Because the number of ushabtis found in tombs is often nearly 365, it is believed by many that the Egyptians intended that there be one for each day of the year. There is no actual evidence for this, and in fact the number found is rarely exactly 365. The pharaoh Taharqa had more than one thousand ushabtis, each one beautifully carved from stone.

Ushabtis varied considerably in size and materials, depending upon the wealth of the deceased. They were usually made of faience, although some were made of terracotta, wood or stone.

Faience, a paste made from ground quartz or of sand with a high percentage of quartz, was one of the most commonly used materials in producing ushabtis. The faience paste was pressed into molds and then fired. When baked, the glaze would migrate to the outside producing a smooth glassy surface. The quality and the color of the glaze depended on the impurities in the paste. Faience ushabtis range in color from a bright dark blue to various shades of turquoise and pale green.

Faience ushabtis were produced in all sizes and in varying shapes. The poorest quality were small, uninscribed and with minimal features.

Sometimes the faces and inscriptions were added with black ink. As the cost of the figure increased, so too did the quality of workmanship and the fineness of detail. On the backs of the more detailed figures are sacks, (usually identified by crosshatching on the left shoulder) that represent seed packs for planting in the fields.

Sometimes the hoes, held close to the chest are protruding from each hand. The better quality statues were usually larger, with inscriptions on the front and back. If a complete spell was not included on the ushabti, it was customary to identify the deceased with Osiris by inscribing the name of the deceased along with that if Osiris on each ushabti.

For collectors interested in Egyptian artifacts, ushabtis offer an interesting and affordable possibility. They are available in all prices, some with clear features and translatable inscriptions. Ushabtis are an art form that is purely Egyptian, remaining unchanged in both purpose and form for over 2,000 years.

Article written by Pat Remler in association with Sadigh Gallery Ancient Art, Inc. For more information regarding Egyptian artifacts, please visit www.sadighgallery.com

A little bit more about our gallery...

While collecting ancient antiquities is often viewed as an expensive hobby, Sadigh Gallery attempts to revolutionize that view by offering artifacts at more affordable prices. Despite the impression that old things are more valuable, we believe that is not necessarily correct. Not all artifacts have the value of gold or diamond. For example, certain antiquities may be discovered among the burial grounds of commoners, or materials are simply not valuable from historical perspective. In such cases, the gallery offers their antiquities for less expensive prices. Some beautiful pieces that you may see behind the glass cases in museums can be purchased at as little price as a teenager’s allowances. 

Also, we hold catalog auctions on bi-monthly basis.  Sadigh Gallery’s catalog auction, while there is no physical location for the event, works just like any other that takes place in regular live auction houses—the receivers of the catalog may bid their best price on the item that they wish to purchase and pray that their offer is accepted. If anyone else bids higher price on the same item, the first bidder will lose his chance to buy.  It is a fun and thrilling event as well as a great chance to buy an artifact with very reasonable prices.  The gallery takes bid prices starting from 50% of the listed prices.  This means that if an artifact’s regular price is $1,000, the bidder can place any prices from $500 to full amount.  If there is no higher competitor by the end of the auction closing date, the bidder can purchase his artifact with 50% discount! 

Sadigh Gallery firmly believes that not all ancient artifacts should be locked away in museums, but also they should be more available to anyone with interest in ancient cultures and history. The gallery certainly makes it easier for private collectors, both amateurs and professionals, and institutions to enhance their collection by offering with lower prices on most of their artifacts.

Sadigh Gallery in New York

Collecting different forms of ancient art is one of the favorite pastimes in the recent era. Some of them even make themselves successful in their profession through this hobby. For the starting collectors, one thing to consider carefully before starting any collection, is to access the most authentic resource.

Sadigh Gallery Ancient Art is one of the most reliable galleries that deal in ancient artifacts in the United States. Boasting thousands of antiquities, varying from objects as small as ancient beads to larger pieces such Egyptian sarcophagus, Sadigh Gallery has been successfully in business in New York City’s 5th Avenue--the heart of commerce--for more than 30 years. Most of Sadigh Gallery’s collections come from different estates or private collectors, and are offered with life-time guaranteed certificates of authenticity.   The gallery also gladly accepts returns if the artifacts does not match up to a customer’s expectations, and offers full refund.   

Although Sadigh Gallery is mainly a mail-order business—and the very first one in the nation that deals in ancient antiquities—its door is also open to the public. Because of the nature of mail-order business, the gallery has customers in every part of the United States. Some customers even make an arrangement to visit the gallery when they plan their trip to New York City from faraway states or overseas. Visitors can have an access to wide range of antiquities from different cultures, and they are welcome to closely examine before making purchases by lifting and touching the artifacts on display.

In this blog, which a Sadigh Gallery staff will update on daily basis, we will discuss about history of ancient cultures such as Egypt, Greek, Rome, Middle Eastern countries, and many more.  The articles are free to use for educational purposes. 

Sadigh Gallery is located in New York City, New York. For more information about the gallery or its hour of operation, please contact the gallery at toll free number (800)426-2007, or visit the gallery website/ online store www.sadighgallery.com.