Egyptian, 7th century B.C.

Granodiorite

H: 4 cm, W: 4.3 cm

PROVENANCE: Ex- Dutch collection, 1970

SERIAL NO: 19821

This small head belonged to a statuette, the size of which probably did not exceed 30 centimeters tall and which represented a standing or seated man. It is broken at the shoulders, which are only partially preserved (mostly the left one); the surface of the stone, which has been carefully polished, is in excellent condition despite a superficial wear; the nose and ears are partially chipped, the right eye is partly lost. It certainly depicts an important dignitary, with well marked facial features, whose identity is currently unknown. The man is characterized as a priest because of his entirely shaved head; a certain heaviness in the design of the eyes, of the eyelids and of the cheeks might indicate a rather advanced age. The bone structure of the head clearly appears in the frontal view and from the side, where the prominent and curved contour of the nape is noticeable. The neck is wide, short and strong. The face is round, almost flattened, the skull is flat on top. The chin is broad, the cheekbones are rounded and high, the jaw is strong and clearly marked; the profile of the nose is sharp and regular, the thin and large mouth cracks a light, somewhat fixed "smile"; the eyes are almond-shaped with finely modeled eyelids, the ears are placed at correct height. Despite a severe expression and idealized features (the few wrinkles furrowing the face between the nose and mouth are more decorative than realistic), this head conveys a sense of calm and serenity, two distinctive characteristics of the art of portraiture during the Late Period. At that time, Egyptian art underwent a "renaissance", based on the revival and imitation of the canons used by the artists of the Middle Kingdom. Founded on a precise and thorough observation of anatomy, the art of portraiture produced a series of images often remarkable for their artistic qualities but which, as for this small head, cannot be regarded as real portraits stricto sensu: even if a number of details seem perfectly realistic (presence of wrinkles, clearly marked cranial structure, figures differentiated one from another and easily identifiable), their shapes are often idealized and their expressions a bit frozen. Although miniature in size, this head represents the finest example of Egyptian private statuary from the mid-first millennium B.C.