Egyptian
Limestone with traces of gilding and paint
H. 15 in. (38.1 cm)
Rogers Fund, 1920 (20.2.21)
In traditional Egyptian manner, the queen stands in a striding pose against a back pillar, at the same time as her representation incorporates Hellenistic elements like the hairstyle and cornucopia, a Greek symbol for divinity.
Since the inscription on the back of this figure refers to Arsinoe II as a goddess, it was probably made after her death in 270 B.C. when her cult was established by her brother and husband Ptolemy II, the forerunner of a phenomenon that is distinctive to the Ptolemaic dynasty. Indeed, stylistic considerations suggest a considerably later date for this statuette, in the second half of the second century B.C., reflecting the continuing importance of the cults of Arsinoe II and other Ptolemaic queens.
Related
Index Terms
Art Movement/Style
Material and Technique
- Limestone
- Sculpture in the Round from Africa
- Sculpture in the Round from Egypt and Western North America
- Sculpture, In the Round
