Fragment of Blue Crown

Inlays

The late Eighteenth Dynasty taste for opulence extended to inlaid wall decoration in temples, palaces, and large houses.

During the reign of Akhenaten, skilled workmen began to create scenes by piecing together individual fragments of colored glass or faience. These works depicted the king, natural motifs, and faithful worshipers beneath the Aten sundisk. Many of these motifs had already appeared in paintings in earlier buildings, but the new medium added vividness and prominence. Architectural inlay continued into the Twentieth Dynasty.