Wooden face from a coffin

This wooden face dates from around 1400 B.C. or later, making it of Ancient Egypt’s 18th Dynasty. It was originally a part of a coffin. Upon the top of the face is a large tenon, on which a wooden representation of a wig or headdress would have originally been placed.

The face has a soft, serene smile, with the facial contours beautifully sculptured with a smooth finish. The character of the face is dynastically New Kingdom style, showing a similar facial resemblance to statues of both the 18th and 19th Dynasties. The brows are painted, and the eyes are inlaid with ivory and obsidian and lined with bronze. The face measures at 17.30cm tall and is 14cm wide.

The face was purchased from Joseph Sams and acquired by the British Museum in 1834.