Ibis. Ancient Egypt. Ptolemaic period, 300 - 30 B.C. Bronze. Provenance: Private collection, P.S., Switzerland, born in 1946. Acquired in the 1980's.- David Ghezelbash, Paris. Conservation: Good condition. It has lost the polychrome, probably gilded, on the surface of the body made of wood and stucco, as can be seen by the traces. Measurements: 11,5 x 17 x 6,5 cm (sculpture); 21 x 15 x 9 x 9 cm (base). Bronze sculpture representing the sacred bird of ancient Egypt. It is a bird related to the god Tot, Egyptian deity of wisdom, writing, music, spells and magic spells and lunar symbol. In art it is represented as a man with the head of an ibis, with a pen or ank and a celestial scribe's tablet to write down the thoughts, words and deeds of men and weigh them in his scales. It was also associated with one of the elements of the human being, the Aj, which is like the light of the body, represented by this bird. The sculpture of the Ptolemaic period in Egypt was characterized by a fusion of Egyptian and Greek styles, giving rise to a unique and distinctive artistic expression.