Egyptian Delight at Boldon
Lot 110a A collection of Egyptian artefacts to include a bronze crocodile, 5cm length, a standing cat, various scarabs etc. Accompanied with certificates, dated 1945 'M.A. Mansor Antiques Cairo'
Sold £900 Antique and Interiors Sale - 6th June 2018
M. A. Mansoor (1881–1968) was an antiquarian who compiled an exquisite collection of Amarna Period sculptures. He was born to Coptic Orthodox Egyptian parents in Cairo in 1881. After having graduated from high school, with an excellent knowledge of Arabic, English and French, he taught Arabic for some years to foreign officials who occupied principal positions in the Egyptian Government.
As early as 16 years old, the history of Ancient Egypt began to fascinate him. He bought books, became an ardent visitor to the Cairo Museum and travelled extensively in Egypt to admire and study the monuments of his ancestors. He learned much about Egyptian art, but was to learn much more later during his long career as an antiquarian. He studied Coptic and began to decipher hieroglyphics. Soon he also became deeply involved in the study of the art of Greece, Persia and Mesopotamia and the early Christian and Islamic worlds. He loved the antiquity of the Near and Middle East. He understood and appreciated their cultures and their many forms of art. But his first love and prime interest always remained Egypt. In this he excelled and in later years, he developed a distinguished reputation, which left no doubt as to his integrity and his masterful knowledge of every facet of Ancient Egyptian art and culture.
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