Early Image of Nefertiti
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
On View: Amarna Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor
Nefertiti raises her arm in an attitude of prayer or offering. Originally the god Aten, as the sun disk, appeared above her. The two tiny hands in front of the queen’s face belong to streams of light coming from the Aten. One of these hands holds an ankh (the hieroglyph for “life”) to Nefertiti’s nose, so that she can receive from the Aten the “breath of life,” given to the faithful.
MEDIUM
Sandstone, pigment
DATES
ca. 1352–1347 B.C.E.
DYNASTY
late Dynasty 18
PERIOD
New Kingdom, Amarna Period
DIMENSIONS
6 11/16 x 10 1/4 x 1 3/16 in. (17 x 26 x 3 cm)
(show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER
64.199.2
CREDIT LINE
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
PROVENANCE
Archaeological provenance not yet documented, probably from the Lost Aten Temple, Karnak, Egypt; 1955, in Karnak, Egypt; between 1955 and 1964, provenance not yet documented; before 1964, acquired by Hubert Herzfelder of Paris, France; by 1964, purchased from the Estate of Hubert Herzfelder by Leo Mildenberg of Zurich, Switzerland; 1964, purchased from Leo Mildenberg by the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
CAPTION
Early Image of Nefertiti, ca. 1352–1347 B.C.E. Sandstone, pigment, 6 11/16 x 10 1/4 x 1 3/16 in. (17 x 26 x 3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 64.199.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.64.199.2_wwg7.jpg)
IMAGE
installation, West Wing gallery 7 installation,
CUR.64.199.2_wwg7.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2005
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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we welcome any additional information you might have.
I see this loop in many egyptian art pieces, what does it signify?
That is what's known as an ankh. It's a hieroglyph that can be used both as a letter and to mean "life." The shape is based on a sandal strap.
