A 2,700-year-old bronze representation of Ptah, the ancient Egyptian creator god and master architect, attracted attention at London’s Frieze Masters over a possible connection to the Oscar statuette. Antiquities dealer Rupert Wace identified the link while investigating the sculpture’s provenance—its history of ownership—ahead of the fair. The resemblance between the ancient figure and the Hollywood award prompted a question: could Ptah have influenced its design?
The bronze once belonged to newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, whose friend Cedric Gibbons designed the Oscar in 1928. Gibbons, an art director, frequently visited Hearst at his California residence and his New York home, which included a room devoted to Egyptian objects. For Wace, the combination of visual similarity, ownership history and personal connections makes the proposed influence plausible. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that the theory cannot be proved. Gibbons, who died in 1960, never directly identified the inspiration behind his design, leaving the suggested connection unresolved.
Beyond its possible Hollywood association, the sculpture has significance as an example of ancient Egyptian art. It dates to Egypt’s Late Period, shortly before the conquest by the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Wace emphasizes the bronze’s quality and collecting history, regarding the Oscar theory as an additional attraction rather than the basis of its value. The figure sold for an undisclosed amount on the opening day of Frieze Masters. The 2026 fair ran from October 14 to 18 in London’s Regent’s Park and drew an estimated 60,000 people.
