Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom / Third Intermediate Period, ca. 1550 to 712 BCE. An incredible limestone fragment from a temple wall with a low relief, polychrome image of a standing man. He is shown in profile, striding forward, in the classic Egyptian style; he wears a green wig, a skirt, and a large, multi-ringed necklace. His hands are at his sides, his fingers carefully depicted. His face is long, dominated by enormous eyes outlined in black, and a long, heavy browline. He also has a goatee, another classic Egyptian style so popular that false goatees were made for those who could not grow them. Size: 3.95" W x 11.5" H (10 cm x 29.2 cm)

The carved (rather than simply painted) and brightly colorful nature of this relief indicates that it was from a prestigious location - most likely a major temple, but also possibly a high ranking official's tomb or even a palace. This is a particularly fine piece of limestone because it took paint directly (coarser versions had to be coated in gesso and then painted). Images like this one were part of larger stories, usually a journey through the afterlife or meeting deities in the afterlife, that were designed to help people understand religious concepts and, if found in a tomb, to introduce the dead to their new world.

Provenance: private St. Louis, Missouri, USA collection; ex Atlanta, Georgia, USA collection, acquired before 1990

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#128937

Fragment, repaired in center. Repair does not significantly impact the artwork. Surface scratching as shown with some nice remaining pigment.