King with a stubbled beard
The ostracon of Seti I is quite a rarity to behold, as a stubbled faced king is a rather peculiar sight in Ancient Egyptian art. Historians suggest the beard is a sign of mourning, growing out a beard is still common practices for mourning in varied cultures around the world until this very day.
French Egyptologist Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt demonstrated that the growth of the natural beard was reserved for times of mourning, specifically between the death of a person and funeral. On the day of the funeral ceremony, it is thought all male attendees shaved, and the official “time of mourning” was concluded.
It is believed the stubbled beard was a sign of mourning, and in this scene from the tomb of Nakhtamun, Ramesses II is depicted in mourning of his father, king Seti I.
New Kingdom, 20th Dynasty, c. 1100 B.C.
Tomb of Nakhtamun, Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, Thebes.
Photograph courtesy of Philippe Martinez of Sorbonne University, France in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Liège, Belgium.
https://scitechdaily.com/uncovering-the-past-innovative-chemical-imaging-reveals-hidden-layers-of-egyptian-paintings/
Read more about facial hair in Ancient Egypt here: https://egypt-museum.com/bearded-high-official/
