High Priest as King (?)
1 of 6
Object Label
The highly idealizing treatment of this face, including the narrow eyebrows, the sharp vertical lines running down the nose, the full round cheeks, and the small mouth, is paralleled on some of the Twenty-first Dynasty's few royal sculptures and reliefs. Moreover, the cavity on the forehead once accommodated a uraeus cobra, a symbol of royalty. Still, the head does not necessarily represent a king. It may be one of the dynasty's high priests, who often usurped royal insignias, including the uraeus, as a sign of their authority over Upper Egypt during the political turmoil of the period.
Caption
High Priest as King (?), ca. 1070–945 B.C.E.. Quartzite, 4 7/16 x 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 in. (11.3 x 7.3 x 8.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 36.835. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Frequent Art Questions
Is the hole in his head damage or symbolic of something?
Good eye! That hole shows the loss of a uraeus, which you will see in many other depictions of kings in the same spot on their head or headdress. The uraeus was a protective goddess in the form of a cobra, whose image was affixed to a variety of objects. Look for them as you explore! You can find many in those galleries.Tell me more.
The hole in his forehead is where a uraeus cobra once would have reared its head.The indication of the cobra, but no other royal headdress leads scholars to believe that this head depicts a priest who tried to claim kingly power. This is know to have happened especially with high priests of Amun around the time this was created, the 21st Dynasty.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at