Fragment of Meritaten from Maru-Aten
Gifted from the Egypt Exploration Society to the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, United States, this fragmentary piece of alabaster showcases the intricate skill of the artisans of the Amarna age. Despite only a fragment remaining, we can get a true insight into the beauty of the pleated royal linens worn during the New Kingdom period.
Thought to depict Princess Meritaten, a daughter of king Akhenaten and Nefertiti, this piece was discovered in the remnants of Maru-Aten, a palace and/or Sun Temple built by Akhenaten at the then experimental Egyptian capital city of “Akhetaten” (Tel el-Amarna), near the modern village of El-Hawata.
Maru-Aten was dedicated to Meritaten.
Despite being dedicated to Meritaten, it is proposed by some scholars that the palace was originally constructed for Akhenaten’s secondary wife Queen Kiya, then reconstructed as a tribute to the daughter of the royal couple, Nefertiti and Akhenaten, princess Meritaten.
Maru-Aten is short for Pa-maru-en-pa-aten (The Viewing-Palace-of-the-Aten). Recently, the beauty of Maru-Aten was reconstructed in minature form by Whetton & Grosch, who brought to life the beautiful splendour of the palace, including the wonderful its shallow pools, man-made lake, and foliage.
Listen to the Egyptian History Podcast about Maru-Aten here.
Summary:
Fragment of Meritaten from Maru-Aten
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, c. 1353-1336 B.C.
Remnants of Maru-Aten, near the modern village of El-Hawata, Tel el-Amarna
Toledo Museum of Art. 1925.657E
