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Reign of Akhenaten, ca. 1350-1334 B.C.
12.5 cm H, 12.8 cm W
Purchased in New York, 1959
It is uncertain whether this small relief is a student's practice piece
or the unfinished work of a trained sculptor. Although the figure
wears no royal insignia, it is probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten,
depicted in the exaggerated style of the Early Period of Amarna art.
The king's strange facial features-which served as a model for all
human representations during his reign-include narrow slanting
eyes, long nose, hollow cheeks, thick lips, and hanging chin. The
sculptor has added incised lines to indicate the angle of the jaw and
the crease that extends downward from the edge of the nose.
Akhenaten wears a short 'Nubian' or military-style wig; the
detailing of the curls has been left uncarved.
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Revised: November 12, 1997
Copyright © 2006 Oriental Institute, University of Chicago