Akhenaten Sacrificing a Duck

Art Historical Context

This limestone relief from Egypt’s Amarna Period (ca. 1353–1336 B.C.) shows Pharaoh Akhenaten offering a duck, a gesture that reflects the era’s emphasis on direct worship of the sun disk Aten. Created during Dynasty 18 of the New Kingdom, the carved panel captures a moment of royal piety at a time when Akhenaten dramatically reshaped religious life, moving attention away from the traditional pantheon toward a single deity. Carved in limestone and once brightly painted, the work measures just 25 cm high yet conveys the distinctive Amarna artistic style: elongated proportions, a sense of gentle movement, and a more naturalistic rendering of the human form than earlier Egyptian conventions. Scenes of the king performing offerings underscored his unique role as intermediary between the divine and his people. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Egyptian Art collection, the relief offers visitors a vivid glimpse into both the spiritual reforms and the artistic innovations of Akhenaten’s reign.