Relief Fragment with Part of an Inscription
Middle Kingdom
This fragment preserves part of an inscription with a Hr-sign, a commonly used hieroglyph that can belong to a wide variety of words; a small portion of another sign is preserved below. The hieroglyph is one of the few instances in which the ancient Egyptians depicted frontal rather than profile faces in relief. The Hr-sign is finely rendered, with careful attention to the modeling of facial features, including the rounded eyes, sculpted nose, full lips, and large, detailed ear. Hair and beard are painted blue, while the face itself is yellow with black eyebrows, pupils, and outlines around the eyes.
The inscription is rendered in sunk relief, which was traditionally used on exterior decoration, but in the Twelfth Dynasty is also found on interior scenes.
