Arm fragment
Unknown Artist
ca. 1353–1336 B.C.
Medium
Indurated limestone
Dimensions
H. 3.4 × W. 6.9 × Th. 3.8 cm (1 5/16 in. × 2 11/16 in. × 1 1/2 in.)
Classification
Arm fragment
Period
New Kingdom, Amarna Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1957
Accession Number
57.180.112
Art Historical Context
This delicate arm fragment, carved from indurated limestone around 1353–1336 B.C., hails from Egypt's New Kingdom during the revolutionary Amarna Period of Dynasty 18. Measuring just 3.4 cm high, it likely once belonged to a statue, possibly of a royal figure, amid the artistic upheaval sparked by Pharaoh Akhenaten. This era marked a bold shift from rigid, idealized pharaonic forms to more naturalistic, elongated proportions celebrating the sun god Aten. Indurated limestone, a fine-grained stone that hardens over time, was prized for its workability, allowing sculptors to achieve smooth surfa...