A 2,700-year-old Egyptian statuette of the god Ptah, which recently sold at Frieze Masters in London, may hold a clue to the origin story of the Oscar statuette.
Could the iconic design of one of Hollywood’s most coveted awards owe a debt to an ancient Egyptian god?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A 2,700-year-old bronze figure of Ptah, the Egyptian creator god and master architect, has drawn attention at Frieze Masters in London, where an antiquities dealer has uncovered a possible link between the sculpture and the design of the Oscar statuette.
The figure was once owned by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, a friend of Cedric Gibbons, the art director who designed the Oscar statuette in 1928.
Antiquities dealer Rupert Wace says he discovered the connection while researching the object's provenance ahead of the fair. "We found out that this particular piece was with (Randolph) Hearst and the chap who designed the Oscar called Cedric Gibbons was a frequent visitor and friend of Hearst's, and would have visited him both in Saint Simeon in California and his place in New York where he had a specific Egyptian collection room."
Cedric Gibbons, who died in 1960, never confirmed directly what inspired his famous design - but the similarities are striking to see, and he was in the right place at the right time
"The whole thing is supposition in a sense. We put two and two together and either made four or five. We can't prove it. It's uncannily similar and was in the right place with the right people at the right time for it to be more than just a coincidence," explains Wace.
And even if its Hollywood connection remains a mystery, the statuette still remains a significant and fascinating piece of ancient Egyptian art. It dates back to the late period of ancient Egypt, shortly before it was conquered by the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
"Without the history, this piece would still be fantastic. It's a very fine bronze. It's got a very good history, collecting history. So the extra Hollywood angle is the cherry on the cake," says Wace.
The statuette was sold on the opening day of Frieze Masters for an undisclosed sum.
Frieze Masters 2026 ran from 14 to 18 October in Regent's Park London, hosting an estimated 60,000 people.
