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Relief of Sandaled Feet of a Royal Woman

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: Amarna Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor
Traditional Egyptian relief rendered both feet as seen from the inside, with the big toe closer to the viewer. In the Eighteenth Dynasty, however, artists began to experiment with more accurate representations, first in tomb painting and then in sculpture and relief. This relief, representing all five toes of the right foot, is one of the first examples of a break with the earlier tradition.

The standardized shape of the block and the realistic modeling are characteristic of the Amarna period. While several royal women of Amarna wore floor-length pleated garments like these, the life-size scale points to Queen Nefertiti as the owner of these feet.
MEDIUM Limestone, pigment
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS
DATES 1352–1332 B.C.E.
DYNASTY late Dynasty 18
PERIOD New Kingdom, Amarna Period
DIMENSIONS 8 7/8 x 21 3/4 in. (22.6 x 55.3 cm)  (show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER 60.197.7
CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
PROVENANCE Probably from Amarna, reused inside the pylon of Ramesses II at Hermopolis Magna, Egypt; 1939, in situ; by 1960, acquired by Michel Abemayor of New York, NY; 1960, purchased from Michel Abemayor by the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Limestone relief. In raised relief, facing right the sandaled feet of a royal figure, most probably female. Feet correctly drawn with all toes of the near foot indicated. In the background, the folds of a transparent linen dress. Figure was life size. Condition: Relief broken vertically through center. Original paint in crevice on back of right leg, on base of right foot, and all along toes of same foot; also on ankle of right foot, sandal strap and along edges of foot. Scattered remains of dress show it too was red. Lower right corner broken.
MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Amarna Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor
CAPTION Relief of Sandaled Feet of a Royal Woman, 1352–1332 B.C.E. Limestone, pigment, 8 7/8 x 21 3/4 in. (22.6 x 55.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 60.197.7. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 60.197.7_transpc004.jpg)
IMAGE overall, 60.197.7_transpc004.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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