Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Fragmentary Head of a King

New Kingdom
ca. 1396–1386 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 119
For many years the fragments of this face were dispersed in various collections, but in 1993 it became possible to reunite the pieces through an exchange with the Petrie Museum, London (the cheek, 1993.27a, b), and a long-term loan from the Musée du Louvre, Paris (the eye, L.1993.21a, b). Part of a red jasper thumb in the collection (26.7.1398b) probably belonged to the same statue.

The original statue was probably what we call a "composite statue" in which the face and other areas of exposed flesh (the hands and feet) were carved from jasper and rest of the statue was carved from Egyptian alabaster, limestone, or wood. Although such statues most frequently come from the the reign of Akhenaten in the Amarna period (ca. 1353-1336 B.C.), this work has been dated to the reign of Akhenaten's grandfather, Thutmose IV, on stylistic grounds.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Fragmentary Head of a King
  • Period: New Kingdom
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 18
  • Reign: reign of Thutmose IV
  • Date: ca. 1396–1386 BCE
  • Geography: From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes
  • Medium: Jasper
  • Dimensions: fragments combined: H. 13.8 × W. 11.3 × D. 4.4 cm (5 7/16 × 4 7/16 × 1 3/4 in.)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926
    Rogers Fund, by exchange, 1993
    Lent by Musée du Louvre
  • Object Number: 26.7.1398a
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
On loan to The Met
Fragmentary Head of a King (Eye Fragment)
ca. 1396–1386 BCE
See 26.7.1398a
ca. 1396–1386 BCE
Head of the god Amun, Granodiorite
Head of the god Amun
ca. 1328–1318 BCE
Fragment of a Queen's Face, Yellow jasper
Fragment of a Queen's Face
ca. 1386–1330 BCE
Shabti of Yuya, Cedar, paint, Egyptian blue
Shabti of Yuya
ca. 1386–1347 BCE

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.