Head from the figure of an official

Unknown

ca. 1800–1650 B.C. · Fine-grained greenish-grey stone · Egyptian Art

This diminutive head comes from the figure of an official who might have been represented either seated or standing. The shaven skull associates him with sculptures of mature dignitaries, and suggests a date in the later Middle Kingdom. The features are particular, with deep-set eyes and a flat, asymmetrical nose that give this piece a sense of individuality. The back pillar preserves the beginning of an offering prayer. The figure might originally have come from a tomb, or might have been a private temple statue, a new type of statuary introduced during the Middle Kingdom that would have allowed the owner to participate eternally in the rituals performed for the god.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1800–1650 B.C.

Medium

Fine-grained greenish-grey stone

Department

Egyptian Art

Credit line

Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian, 2020