Head from the figure of an official

Middle Kingdom

ca. 1800–1650 B.C.

Not on view

This diminutive head comes from the figure of an official who might have been represented either seated or standing. The shaven skull associates him with sculptures of mature dignitaries, and suggests a date in the later Middle Kingdom. The features are particular, with deep-set eyes and a flat, asymmetrical nose that give this piece a sense of individuality. The back pillar preserves the beginning of an offering prayer. The figure might originally have come from a tomb, or might have been a private temple statue, a new type of statuary introduced during the Middle Kingdom that would have allowed the owner to participate eternally in the rituals performed for the god.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Head from the figure of an official
Period: Middle Kingdom
Dynasty: Dynasty 13
Date: ca. 1800–1650 B.C.
Geography: From Egypt
Medium: Fine-grained greenish-grey stone
Dimensions: H. 4.1 × W. 2.5 × D. 3.1 cm (1 5/8 × 1 × 1 1/4 in.)
Credit Line: Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian, 2020
Object Number: 2021.41.109
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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