Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Relief of Queen Neferu Having Her Hair Done
Middle Kingdom
Not on view
This object is not part of The Met collection. It was in the Museum for a special exhibition and has been returned to the lender.
The entrance corridor of the queen’s tomb was probably decorated with sunk relief. This small fragment from an unusual hairdressing scene might have belonged to a ritual series in honor of Hathor, goddess of love and sexuality. The queen may have been depicted in purification rites enacted before she either took part in a Hathoric ceremony or perhaps even played the role of the goddess herself. The inscription above Neferu identifies her as a king’s wife, while that on the far right names the hairdresser, Henut.
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