Monumental Head of a Foreigner
With its short projecting beard, this monumental head portrays the image of an Asiatic man as one of Egypt’s prototypical enemies. Part of a series of such heads, it most probably decorated a window in a palace façade, through which the king would appear overlooking a courtyard. Seeming as if lying below him, these heads would appear as if fallen under the Pharaoh’s dominion. This imagery thereby symbolizes the king’s power to subdue any force of chaos threatening Egypt’s, and therefore the world’s stability.
Artwork Details
- Title: Monumental Head of a Foreigner
- Period: New Kingdom, Ramesside
- Dynasty: Dynasty 19-20
- Date: ca. 1295–1070 B.C.
- Geography: From Egypt
- Medium: Limestone
- Dimensions: H. 33 × W. 44 × D. 49.5 cm, 146.1 kg (13 × 17 5/16 × 19 1/2 in., 322 lb.)
- Credit Line: Gift of Lewis and Elaine Dubroff, in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary, 2017
- Object Number: 2017.657
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
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