Female Head
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
At the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty, both men and women of the non-royal elite began to represent themselves wearing very elaborate hairstyles as one indication of their wealth and status. These two statue heads are good examples of the male wig, with two kinds of curls, and the female coiffure, with elaborate braids and a headband. Both styles were very popular at this time.
MEDIUM
Limestone
DATES
ca. 1336–1185 B.C.E.
DYNASTY
late Dynasty 18 to Dynasty 19
PERIOD
New Kingdom
DIMENSIONS
5 1/2 x 5 x 3 1/2 in. (14 x 12.7 x 8.9 cm)
mount (display dimensions): 5 1/2 x 5 x 4 in. (14 x 12.7 x 10.2 cm)
(show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER
37.268E
CREDIT LINE
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Limestone head of a woman, probably from a group statue showing husband and wife. The wig is in the tripartite style, bound by an unadorned forehead band, worn in the manner of a diadem. The hair is centrally parted, then plaited into many parallel braids. The strands of hair framing the face are not braided, but extremely curly, as though having been crimped. The face is nearly round; the cheeks quite full. The back of the object is flat, as though having earlier been part of a solid background stone.
Condition: A few chips on forehead. Right side of nose and chin badly chipped; otherwise, face is generally intact. The proper left side of wig is largely missing below eye-level.
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Female Head, ca. 1336–1185 B.C.E. Limestone, 5 1/2 x 5 x 3 1/2 in. (14 x 12.7 x 8.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.268E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.268E_PS1.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 37.268E_PS1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2007
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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