Relief plaque depicting a royal figure
Ptolemaic Period
Small Late Period and Ptolemaic reliefs or sculptures that depict a subject in a partial or unfinished way but are themselves complete objects constitute a special class of objects. These objects, sometimes called "sculptor's models/votives" by Egyptologists, were the material of a donation practice, perhaps connected with these centuries' prolific temple building. Unfortunately, there is little to illuminate us about the mechanics of such a donation practice. This example depicts a royal head.
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