Sandstone statue of Nefertiti

Thie painted sandstone of Nefertiti, found besides a statue of her husband king Akhenaten in the same pose, depicts an offering scene and stands at 73.5cm tall. Now both headless, the statue of Nefertiti was found fragmented at the waist.

Neferiti wears a pleated linen dress, remnants of a usekh collar can be seen upon her upper chest, falling just upon her bust. Her arms would have once been holding an offering tray, but are now sadly gone at the elbow and wrist. Remnants of paint remain. The realism by the sculpture showcases a soft figure, with a belly button visible, and shapely thighs and legs. The pleats of her garment envelop her figure.

The head was likely made separately, and would have possibly been made of limestone. However, it is missing.

The British Museum curator, where this statue now resides, writes:

“This statue was found alongside a slightly taller sandstone statue of the king Akhenaten (now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, AM 1924.162) during the excavation season of 1923-1924 at Amarna, in a small chamber of a house labelled as L.50.12 (Griffith 1924, 1931), close to a nearby shrine area (Hodgkinson 2017). The object held by Nefertiti has been considered to be a flat offering-table or altar, however the object appears to be held at the sides as opposed to supporting from below as found in other Amarna sculpture, and thus some have cast doubt on this interpretation (Strudwick 2006).

The statue was initially found in fragments, with the upper and lower body separated at the waist. The surface of the neck shows that the head would have been constructed from a separate piece of limestone and attached to the main body. Evidence of reworking and additions of plaster are also visible in this area of the statue, leading to speculation that the statue was repaired in ancient times, possibly on more than one occasion (Strudwick 2006). The language used within the surviving inscription, particularly the later form of the Aten’s name, and the more natural style of the body confirms that this statue dates to the later phases of Akhenaten’s reign. The statue had also suffered deliberate damage prior to its modern discovery (Griffith 1924).”

The statue of Neferiti weighs 6.5kgs (14.33lbs) and is engraved upon the back column. It would have stood beside the statue of her husband Akhenaten, and was found at Tel el-Amarna, which was once the location of their ill-fated capital, Akhetaten. Sadly, the head, offering-table and feet of the Nefertiti statue are all lost. However, Akhenaten’s statue can give us an idea of what the lower half of Nefertiti’s statue would have once looked like.

Summary:

Painted sandstone statue of Nefertiti
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, c. 1353-1336 B.C.
From Tel el Amarna.
Now at the British Museum. EA935