Head From an Anthropoid Sarcophagus Lid
Ptolemaic Period (332 BCE–30 BCE)
Medium
Limestone
Dimensions
44 × 47.5 × 34 cm (17 3/8 × 18 3/4 × 13 7/16 in.)
Classification
sculpture
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
136743
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This head is a fragment from the lid of a sarcophagus whose complete shape evoked a human form, from head to feet. The deeply cut eyebrows and eyes— together with the cosmetic lines that extend from their outer corners—once held inlays made from other materials (probably copper alloy and glass). Ancient Egyptians crafted sarcophagi to protect mummified bodies from damage and decay, a necessary step in ensuring a person’s continued existence in the afterlife. Coffins served the same purpose but ...
About the Artist
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian artists, a collective of highly skilled artisans spanning over three millennia from the Predynastic period (c. 6000–3150 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC–4th century AD), produced some of humanity's most enduring masterpieces. These anonymous craftsmen, often organized in state-sponsored workshops, lived in dedicated communities like Deir el-Medina near Luxor during the New Kingdom (c....