Fragment of the face of a queen, New Kingdom, Amarna Period, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten, ca. 1353–1336 B.C.Egypt, Middle Egypt, el-Amarna (Akhetaten); inc. el-Hagg QandilYellow jasper
This striking fragment is from a statue composed of different materials. The back of the piece shows remains of the mortise that fitted onto a tenon extending from the statue’s body, which may have been made of Egyptian alabaster to represent a white garment. Two headdresses might have fit this head: the khat or the Nubian wig.
The royal woman represented here cannot be securely identified. It is difficult to imagine that the already aged Queen Tiye—highly respected as a wise woman at Amarna—was shown as a beauty of such sensuous character. Queens Nefertiti and Kiya, however, are both possible subjects.
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