Relief of a Nobleman
The precise origin of this relief is uncertain. The figure wears an elaborate wig adorned with a lotus fillet and intricate locks, along with a fine garment—appropriate attire for an offering scene in the underworld.
The work reflects the enduring influence of the artistic style promoted by Akhenaten, the so-called “heretic pharaoh.” Features such as the projection of the face and neck beyond the wig and the deeply carved back of the head continued long after his reign.
Its refined execution suggests the relief may have come from a tomb at Saqqara, the great necropolis of Memphis. At the left, a hand holds a sistrum (ritual rattle) and a flower. The absent figure was almost certainly a woman, perhaps the wife or relative of the deceased.
Medium: Limestone, pigment
Possible Place of Origin: Saqqara, Egypt
Date: ca. 1295–1070 B.C.E.
Dynasty: 19–20
Period: New Kingdom
