Statue of Queen Nofret

In this statue, Queen Nofret is shown seated on a throne, wearing a wig known as a Hathor wig, which has three separate tresses of hair. A large tress falls behind the head, while two wavy tresses are pulled to the front and wrapped in narrow bands, which end over the breasts in two spirals that encircle disks. A uraeus of rearing cobra is depicted on the forehead for protection.

The queen has a large face and enormous, almost detached, ears. Her oversized limbs portray a powerful stature. She is wearing a robe with a very low opening and large anklets that ornament her thick ankles. She wears an incised openwork pectoral, a large piece of jewelry that is worn upon the chest.

Queen Nofret by Winifred Brunton (1880-1959).

Nofret name means beautiful one. The erased text on the throne’s sides likely listed the queen’s titles. Along with Khenemetneferhedjet I she was one of the two known wives of Senusret II; his other two possible wives were Khenmet and Itaweret. All four were also Senusret’s sisters.

Two of her statues were found at Tanis and these are now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The small pyramid in her husband’s Kahun pyramid complex was probably built for her.

Statue of Queen Nofret at Tanis. Mission of Emmanuel de Rougé during the winter of 1863-1864. Photograph: Aymard de Banville (1837-1917). This statue is now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. CG 382

These two identical images of Nofret were discovered at Tanis. They had been taken there after the end of the New Kingdom, more than a millennium after they were made.

The elegant artistic style of the Middle Kingdom can be seen clearly here in the delicate rendering of Nofret’s necklace, which shows two vulture goddesses supporting the cartouche of Senusret II. Note also her distinctive wig, which identifies her with the goddess Hathor.