Relief of an Aged Courtier

Unlike Egyptian sculpture, both Egyptian reliefs and paintings rarely depict elderly persons. This very exceptional relief shows an unknown man in full maturity with a marked furrow from his nose to his lips, a double chin, prominent collarbones, a bulging Adam's apple, sagging pectoral muscles, and deeply lined paIms. Most unusual is the pronounced vein or artery in his extended forearm. This remarkable naturalism is a legacy of the Amarna Period. The style of the wig is indicative of the date.