Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History


    • Fragment of the face of a queen, New Kingdom, Amarna Period, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten, ca. 1353–1336 b.c.
    Egypt, Middle Egypt, el-Amarna (Akhetaten); inc. el-Hagg Qandil
    Yellow jasper

    H. 5 1/8 in. (13 cm), W. 4 15/16 in. (12.5 cm), D. 4 15/16 in. (12.5 cm)
    Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926 (26.7.1396)

    This striking fragment is from a statue composed of different materials. The back of the piece shows remains of the mortise that fitted onto a tenon extending from the statue's body, which may have been made of Egyptian alabaster to represent a white garment. Two headdresses might have fit this head: the khat or the Nubian wig.

    The royal woman represented here cannot be securely identified. It is difficult to imagine that the already aged Queen Tiye—highly respected as a wise woman at Amarna—was shown as a beauty of such sensuous character. Queens Nefertiti and Kiya, however, are both possible subjects.

    This work of art also appears on Connections: Virtuosity, Better Broken, Chic

    Related


    This work has been published in the Museum's Bulletin or Journal. These articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship.
  • Dorman, Peter, Edna R. Russmann, and Christine Lilyquist. "Egyptian Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 41, no. 3 (Winter, 1983–84).
    JSTOR | PDF | Supplemental PDFs
    • "Curator's Forward" PDF
    • "Director's Note" PDF
    • On view: Gallery 121
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    Fragment of the face of a queen, New Kingdom, Amarna Period, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten, ca. 1353–1336 b.c.
    Egypt, Middle Egypt, el-Amarna (Akhetaten); inc. el-Hagg Qandil
    Yellow jasper

    H. 5 1/8 in. (13 cm), W. 4 15/16 in. (12.5 cm), D. 4 15/16 in. (12.5 cm)
    Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926 (26.7.1396)


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