Inlay Profile Head
ca. 1353–1336 B.C.E.
1 of 4
Object Label
Composite sculpture, or sculpture that combines separately carved elements of different materials, became particularly popular during the Amarna Period. The face in profile was once embellished with the eye and eyebrow inlays made of glass or semiprecious stones. The crown as well as the rest of the body would have been carved from other stones.
Caption
Inlay Profile Head, ca. 1353–1336 B.C.E.. Red quartzite, pigment, 4 5/8 x 4 7/16 x 1 11/16 in. (11.8 x 11.2 x 4.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Egypt Exploration Society, 33.685. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Inlay Profile Head
Date
ca. 1353–1336 B.C.E.
Dynasty
late Dynasty 18
Period
New Kingdom, Amarna Period
Geography
Place excavated: Tell el-Amarna, Egypt
Medium
Red quartzite, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
4 5/8 x 4 7/16 x 1 11/16 in. (11.8 x 11.2 x 4.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Egypt Exploration Society
Accession Number
33.685
Frequent Art Questions
Tell me more.
This inlay probably either shows Akhenaten, the Pharaoh during the Amarna period, or else Smenkhare. If you look closely, you can see that the lips were painted red!If you look around the same room you can see a number of other reliefs of Akhenaten and his queen, Nefertiti. Akhenaten and Nefertiti put forward a new religion, that centered around a single god, the Aten, a manifestation of the sun god Re.They were both considered semi-divine, and the only people to have direct contact with the Aten.Thank you!
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at