<em>Head from a Female Sphinx</em>, ca. 1876–1842 B.C.E. Chlorite, 15 5/16 x 13 1/8 x 13 15/16 in., 124.5 lb. (38.9 x 33.3 x 35.4 cm, 56.47kg). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 56.85. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 56.85_front_SL1.jpg)

Head from a Female Sphinx, ca. 1876–1842 B.C.E. Chlorite, 15 5/16 x 13 1/8 x 13 15/16 in., 124.5 lb. (38.9 x 33.3 x 35.4 cm, 56.47kg). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 56.85. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 56.85_front_SL1.jpg)

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What would the eyes have been made out of?

The eyes of a sculpture like this would have been made from different stones to recreate the light and dark parts of real eyes.

Why don't sphinxes have noses?

Originally, they would have all had noses! Some have been damaged accidentally or with age, but many were removed maliciously.

There was a belief in ancient Egypt that a soul or a spirit could live inside of a statue. This also meant that cutting off a statue’s nose made it unable to breathe and effectively dead. With this in mind, people chipped noses off many statues—sphinxes included—to harm the spirit of the person depicted or to eliminate places for spirits to occupy.

What is a sphinx?

A sphinx is a mythological creature with a human head and lion's body. They were typically associated with men and especially the ancient Egyptian king. This is a rare example of sphinx that represents a woman, likely a queen or princess.

Who is the woman in this sculpture?

Without an inscription we can't be certain of her name. The style of the face and hair suggest that it comes from the Middle Kingdom period. The shape of the hair at the back suggests this head came from a sphinx. Female sphinxes were pretty unusual in ancient Egypt; it is possible that this represents a daughter of the king Amunemhat II who is believed to have commissioned sphinxes of his daughters.

Why doesn't this statue have eyes?

The eyes would have been made separately and set in to the empty sockets that you see. It appears as though these inset eyes were removed intentionally at some point, if you look closely you can see repaired chisel marks at the sockets.

Thank you!

Head from a Female Sphinx

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor

About this Brooklyn Icon
The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.

Depicting a queen or princess, this striking green head is one of the earliest representations of a female sphinx. Its size and powerful presence contrast with its smooth and delicate features. The face and neck, once attached to a sphinx’s reclining body, reveal evidence of ancient damage and more modern repairs. The empty eyes originally held stone inlays.

The head’s journey to Brooklyn is a storied tale, extending many miles and millennia. It was first described in 1764 CE in one of the earliest treatises on ancient art. The text notes that the “sublime” head was part of Cardinal Alessandro Albani’s antiquities collection in Rome. How it came to Italy remains a mystery. The Romans might have brought it in the first century CE, possibly installing it in Emperor Hadrian’s villa.

In 1772, the Marquess of Lansdowne purchased the head; the family kept it until a 1930 estate sale. For 20 years, its location was unknown. In 1955, a Sotheby’s employee noticed the piece outside an Essex shop and purchased it on a whim. He sold the head for a mere 500 pounds, claiming he was bamboozled by his boss. The next thing he knew, Sotheby’s had sold it to the Brooklyn Museum, where it continues to awe and inspire.

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Gallery Label

Small details sometimes provide crucial clues to understanding a sculpture. On this object, for example, the back of the wig extends horizontally instead of downward, indicating that the head originally belonged to a sphinx, a mythological creature with a human head and a lion's body. Sphinxes represented the king's ability to crush Egypt's enemies. Although sphinxes were usually male, the heavy striated wig shown here appears only on representations of women.

This statue's inlaid eyes, probably of metal and colored stones, were pried out in antiquity, resulting in extensive damage. Repairs to the eyes, lips, and chin were apparently made in the eighteenth century.

MEDIUM Chlorite

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS

Place made: Egypt
Possible place collected: Heliopolis, Egypt
Possible place collected: Hadrian's Villa, Rome, Italy

DATES ca. 1876–1842 B.C.E.

DYNASTY Dynasty 12

PERIOD Middle Kingdom

DIMENSIONS 15 5/16 x 13 1/8 x 13 15/16 in., 124.5 lb. (38.9 x 33.3 x 35.4 cm, 56.47kg) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 56.85

CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

PROVENANCE Archaeological provenance not yet documented, reportedly from Rome, Italy, possibly from Hadrian's villa, Tivoli, Italy; by the 18th century, acquired by Cardinal Albani of Rome; by 1772, acquired by William Petty, Marquess of Lansdowne, England; between 1772 and 1930, provenance not yet documented; March 5, 1930, reportedly sold at Christie's, London, United Kingdom, "The Celebrated Collection of Ancient Marbles, The Property of the Most Honourable The Marquess of Lansdowne"; between 1930 and 1956, provenance not yet documented; before 1956, acquired by George Williams; before 1956, purchased from George Williams by Peter Wilson, Sotheby's; by 1956, acquired by Spink and Son, Ltd., London, United Kingdom; 1956, purchased from Spink and Son, Ltd by the Brooklyn Museum.

Provenance FAQ

EXHIBITIONS

Mistress of the House, Mistress of Heaven: Women in Ancient Egypt

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor

CAPTION Head from a Female Sphinx, ca. 1876–1842 B.C.E. Chlorite, 15 5/16 x 13 1/8 x 13 15/16 in., 124.5 lb. (38.9 x 33.3 x 35.4 cm, 56.47kg). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 56.85. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 56.85_front_SL1.jpg)

IMAGE front, 56.85_front_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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