<em>Head of Wesirwer, Priest of Montu</em>, ca. 380–342 B.C.E. Schist, 6 x 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (15.2 x 8.9 x 11.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 55.175. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 55.175_SL3.jpg)

Head of Wesirwer, Priest of Montu, ca. 380–342 B.C.E. Schist, 6 x 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (15.2 x 8.9 x 11.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 55.175. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 55.175_SL3.jpg)

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How do we know his name?

So the god sitting on the throne, with the crook and the flail in his crossed arms is Osiris, one of the most important gods in Egyptian mythology. In ancient Egyptian his name was Wesir. At the base of the throne he sits on is a hieroglyph of a bird, (Ancient Egyptian: wr) which means great. Altogether it is the subject's name Wesirwer, or "Osiris is Great".

How did they shave?

They would use a very sharp knife, which would be scraped across the face, very carefully. They also plucked hair using tweezers. Many Egyptians would wear wigs made of human hair! On top of the wig they would put cones of perfume.

Is there a reason that the statue's head is strangely shaped?

Both his head shape and facial features reflect trends in Egyptian sculpture of this time period. Most ancient Egyptian depictions of people include wigs. Bald heads are frequently shown somewhat elongated at the back.

This head was part of a larger, full body sculpture at one point, as well. The individual shown is Wesirwer, Priest of Montu.

Thank you!

Head of Wesirwer, Priest of Montu

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor

The fragmentary inscription on the dorsal pillar of this head contains a rebus that reveals the owner's name—Wesirwer ("Osiris Is Great")—and part of his title. An inscription on a statue in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to which the head was originally attached (see photo) reveals that Wesirwer was a priest of the Theban god Montu. On the Cairo statue, Wesirwer holds figures of the Theban divine triad—Amun, king of the gods; Mut, his consort; and Khonsu, their child, a god of the moon. He sports an Achaemenid-, or Persian-, style garment, which had been introduced before Dynasty XXVII (circa 525–404 B.C.), a period of foreign occupation.

The Brooklyn fragment belongs to a group of green-stone heads that combine both conventional and naturalistic facial details. Wesirwer's egg-shaped skull and almond eyes are standard elements of fourth-century works, but the serene gaze is a naturalizing element perhaps evocative of Wesirwer's piety.

MEDIUM Schist

Place Found: Thebes (Karnak), Egypt

DATES ca. 380–342 B.C.E.

DYNASTY Dynasty 30

PERIOD Late Period

DIMENSIONS 6 x 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (15.2 x 8.9 x 11.4 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 55.175

CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Green basalt male head preserved to spring of shoulders, shaved skull, eyebrows not represented. Neck-line of garment incised. Back-pillar with pyramidal top bearing relief of seated Osiris; below relief, incised inscription preserving only names of Amen-re and Montu.

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view on the 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor

CAPTION Head of Wesirwer, Priest of Montu, ca. 380–342 B.C.E. Schist, 6 x 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (15.2 x 8.9 x 11.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 55.175. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 55.175_SL3.jpg)

IMAGE 55.175_SL3.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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