This talatat depicts two princesses of king Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti. Their youth is represented by the hairstyle Egyptologist’s have dubbed the ‘side lock of youth’, a plaited strand or strands of hair on an otherwise shaven head or short hairstyle. This piece was found among the foundations of the Pylon of Ramesses II...
“An illustrated cultural guide to the archaeological site of Amarna, the best-preserved pharaonic city in Egypt. Around three thousand years ago, the pharaoh Akhenaten turned his back on Amun, and most of the great gods of Egypt. Abandoning Thebes, he quickly built a grand new city in Middle Egypt, Akhetaten―Horizon of the Aten―devoted exclusively to...
This sandstone sunken relief of a woman dates from the Amarna Period, and it is easy to tell the era she is from due to the style in which she is depicted. The artistic manner is most definitely from the period of Akhenaten’s experimental reign, however, this piece was actually found in Thebes and not...
Parennefer was a close advisor to Prince Amenhotep IV (King Akhenaten), before he became king. Once Amenhotep IV, or rather, King Akhenaten, took the throne, Parennefer served as his personal Royal Butler, and worked closely as a confidant to the king. In the age of Akhenaten, it was Akhenaten who was the representation of Ma’at...
A head of king Akhenaten made from Egyptian jasper or porphyry. This head of Akhenaten is similar to portraits of the king that we believe come from early in his reign. The less exaggerated features of the soon-to-be “Amarna Period”, this serene, slight smile of the young king looks ahead, as he wears the blue...
Ushabti of king Akhenaten from Amarna (ancient Akhetaten – Akhenaten’s experimental ‘new capital’ that was dismantled upon his death. A Ushabti was a figurine representing the deceased that would help with duties in the Afterlife. A Ushabti (Egyptian: wšbtj or šwbtj) was a funerary figure in the form of the likeness of the deceased, and...
This perfume bottle, with a depiction of an Amarna princess stood upon a lotus blossom, is in the shape of a hes-vase. It is made from Egyptian alabaster, with an inlay of coloured glass, carnelian, obsidian and gold. A hes-vase is named after the “hes” hieroglyph. The hes-vase was used as a libation vessel, meaning,...
This limestone bust of an Amarna royal has never been officially identified, yet the Neues Museum in Berlin does display it with the title of Tutankhamun, which is a likely possibility, others propose that it may be the mysterious 18th Dynasty ruler Smenkhkare. Who it is depends on the scholar, and your own thoughts at...
This fragment depicts face and upper torso of Akhenaten with the exaggerated but sensitive features characteristic of representations of this king. The full scene would have shown the king worshiping his sole god, the Aten. This relief is currently on long-term loan to the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung in Berlin. Akhenaten was a progressive king...
This head of an unknown princess dates from the Amarna Period, and the family resemblance among the sculptures of the period is noticeable here. The youthful face and enlarged, elongated heads tended to be a choice for the Amarna artists to depict the daughters of the king. Found in Amarna, this head is now on...
