Cobra Head
New Kingdom
This head of a cobra is made out of Egyptian faience, a glazed non-clay ceramic material. The eyes of the bulky head must originally have been inlaid, possibly with semi-precious stones, which would have given the head a very lively look. A broad groove on the bottom of the piece shows that it was originally slid into position. The cobra head was probably originally part of a frieze of protective uraei that belonged to a piece of wooden furniture. Such a construction is known from furniture of Tutankhamun. The cobra head might have belonged to the burial equipment of another king of this period.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.