Nefertiti
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
Occasionally we can identify one of the members of the Amarna royal family by a unique characteristic. The woman on this column drum has a tall, flat-topped crown worn exclusively by Nefertiti. This same headdress appears on the famous bust of the queen that is in the Berlin Museum.
MEDIUM
Limestone, pigment
DATES
ca. 1352–1336 B.C.E.
DYNASTY
late Dynasty 18
PERIOD
New Kingdom, Amarna Period
DIMENSIONS
9 1/4 × 15 × 1 3/4 in. (23.5 × 38.1 × 4.4 cm)
(show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER
71.89
CREDIT LINE
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
PROVENANCE
Presumably from Tell el-Amarna, reused inside the pylon of Ramses II at Hermopolis Magna, Egypt; by 1961, acquired by Khawam family; between 1961 and 1971, provenance not yet documented; by October 1971, acquired by Jean Vinchon, Paris, France; October 19, 1971, purchased from Jean Vinchon by the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Limestone sunk relief which, to judge from the convex curve of the decorated surface, once formed part of a column. To the left is Nefertiti, facing right, wearing the crown peculiar to her and Queen Tiy. She offers a formal bouquet to the Aten, three of whose rays reach to receive it. In front of her stands Akhenaton wearing a Blue Crown with streamers. Only the rear third of his body is preserved. Nefertiti is preserved from the waist up.
Inscription: one line above the offering scene: “given life forever eternally”. Above “given life” are the bottom portions of two cartouches.
Condition: Lower left corner broken off and replaced. Chips out of Nefertiti's crown, her right arm and elbow, her left hand and wrist, and the base of her neck. Traces of blue paint in hieroglyphs, flowers, and both crowns. Traces of red paint in both bodies, hands of the Aten and the base of the bouquet.
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Nefertiti, ca. 1352–1336 B.C.E. Limestone, pigment, 9 1/4 × 15 × 1 3/4 in. (23.5 × 38.1 × 4.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 71.89. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 71.89_SL1.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 71.89_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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RECORD COMPLETENESS
Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and
we welcome any additional information you might have.
Can you give me more information on the relief, please?
Sure! The way her face is carved here is characteristic of the way people were shown in the Amarna period, during her husband, Akhenaten's reign. You'll also notice her famous angular crown with the uraeus cobra on the front.
She is holding up an offering of flowers to the Aten, the primary god worshipped during the Amarna period. The hands you see reaching for the offering can be understood as arms of the Aten or sundisk. The hands are carved at the end of lines representing rays from the sun.
Thanks!
You're welcome! Be sure to take a look at the other works in our Egyptian galleries. Notice the differences between these Amarna period images and ones from before and after.
