Relief of a Nobleman in the Brooklyn Museum, August 2007

Relief of a Nobleman
Limestone
New Kingdom, probably Dynasty XIX, but possibly Dynasty XX
circa 1295-1070 BC
Perhaps from Saqqara

Accession # 36.261

The exact context of this relief is unknown. The anoymous noble's garment and elaborate wig with lotus flower fillet and intricate locks are perfect attire for an offering scene in the underworld.

The relief clearly illustrates the legacy of the artistic style championed by Akhenaten, Egypt's so-called heretic pharaoh. The projection of the face and neck beyond the wig and the deep carving of the rear of the head are details that continued long after Akhenaten's reign. The elegant treatment suggests that the relief comes from a tomb at Saqqara, a vast cemetery in the region of Memphis.

At the left a hand holds a sistrum (or rattle) and a flower. The missing person was surely a woman, either the wife or some other relative of the deceased.

Text from the Brooklyn Museum label.