Fragmentary Statuette of a Vizier
New Kingdom, Amarna Period
This statue represents a vizier, an official who had administrative and judicial responsibility for half the country. Around his neck he wears a cord whose ends are held in a sliding cartouche-shaped clasp that can be seen at the back. The vizier's seal hung from this cord but was typically concealed beneath the upper edge of his wrapped garment. Columns of inscription refer to the "beautiful light" and the "sole sun of the one who lives seeing him," language that signals the Amarna religion as clearly as the soft modeling of the body, and the natural curve of the arms express the period's aesthetic.
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.