Head and Torso of a King, ca. 2455–2425 B.C.E. Granite, pigment, 13 3/8 × 6 3/8 × 5 9/16 in. (34 × 16.2 × 14.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 72.58. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 72.58_SL1.jpg)
Head and Torso of a King, ca. 2455–2425 B.C.E. Granite, pigment, 13 3/8 × 6 3/8 × 5 9/16 in. (34 × 16.2 × 14.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 72.58. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.72.58_erg2.jpg)
Head and Torso of a King, ca. 2455–2425 B.C.E. Granite, pigment, 13 3/8 × 6 3/8 × 5 9/16 in. (34 × 16.2 × 14.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 72.58. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.72.58.jpg)
Head and Torso of a King
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
This fragment depicts a king in the pleated linen nemes-headcloth and the uraeus-cobra worn only by royalty. The complete statue probably showed him standing and wearing a short kilt. The well-modeled torso and round, youthful face are characteristic of royal statuary from the Fifth Dynasty. This figure most closely resembles statues of King Niuserre, who may be represented here.
MEDIUM
Granite, pigment
DATES
ca. 2455–2425 B.C.E.
DYNASTY
Dynasty 5
PERIOD
Old Kingdom
DIMENSIONS
13 3/8 × 6 3/8 × 5 9/16 in. (34 × 16.2 × 14.1 cm)
mount (display dims 2024): 13 1/2 × 6 × 5 1/4 in. (34.3 × 15.2 × 13.3 cm) (show scale)
COLLECTIONS
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
72.58
CREDIT LINE
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Upper portion of a pink and black mottled granite statue of a king, preserved from just below the waist up. He wears a nemes with uraeus. The head of the uraeus is gone and there is no indication of a tail. The nemes rests low upon the forehead. The brows in relief dip slightly toward the root of the nose. The eyeballs are well rounded. The lips are full but the mouth is relatively small. The space between the base of the nose and upper lip is short. The cheeks are full. The lappets of the nemes are striated horizontally. A pronounced median line and navel with an additional division between rib cage and abdomen. The broad, flat topped back pillar ends at the shoulder blades. The arms and shoulders are mostly gone but the portion remaining shows the arms were at the sides. Probably from a striding statue.
Condition: Arms mostly gone (parts remaining are inner edges on both sides). Right shoulder gone from nemes outwards. Small part of left shoulder mostly gone. Three large chips in wings of nemes. Chin chipped. Large chip in left breast. Other small chips. Traces of red, green and yellow pigment over the piece which is not ancient as a portion is in a chip.
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Head and Torso of a King, ca. 2455–2425 B.C.E. Granite, pigment, 13 3/8 × 6 3/8 × 5 9/16 in. (34 × 16.2 × 14.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 72.58. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 72.58_SL1.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 72.58_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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