LONDON.- A remarkable piece of ancient Egyptian history, a limestone false door dating back over 4,000 years, is set to be auctioned by Apollo Art Auctions. The piece, estimated to fetch between £30,000 and £50,000, will go to live auction on January 25, 2025, at 1 PM GMT as part of their Fine Ancient Art, Antiquities & Jewellery sale. The starting bid is set at £10,000.



This beautiful false door, measuring 700mm x 410mm and weighing 23kg, dates to the end of the Old Kingdom/beginning of the First Intermediate Period, specifically Dynasties VII-VIII (circa 2181-2160 BC). It features a recessed central panel, flanked by two columns and topped with a register of inscribed hieroglyphs.



The false door belonged to Ima, a high official at the royal court. His status is evident from the titles inscribed upon it: "King's acquaintance," "King's nobleman of the house of the dignitaries," and the unique title "Inspector of the spear(?)." This last title is particularly noteworthy as it is not found on any other known monuments.



The false door adheres to canonical design, featuring a decorated torus, upper and lower lintels, and inner and outer jambs. A narrow niche between the inner jambs suggests a doorway with a rolled-up mat (drum) above. A sunk-relief scene between the outer jambs depicts Ima seated before an offering table. He is also shown standing on the outer jambs, holding the staff and scepter, symbols of his high rank. On the inner right jamb, a woman, likely Ima's wife Pef, is depicted holding a lotus flower. Hieroglyphs above her identify her as "King's acquaintance, priestess of Hathor."



The auction item's provenance is well documented: it is currently the property of a London collector, having previously belonged to Mayfair family S. A., who acquired it from a London professor in the late 1970s. The piece has been checked against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. Furthermore, it is accompanied by an authentication report from Simone Musso, a consultant curator for Egyptian antiquities at the Stibbert Museum in Florence, Italy, and a member of the Nuri Archaeological Expedition. For comparison, the auction house cites a similar piece held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Accession Number: 64.100).