Raised relief fragment
Unknown Artist
664–610 B.C.
Medium
Limestone, varnish
Dimensions
12.5 x 14.5 x 4.8
Classification
Relief, Tomb of Nespekashuty
Period
Late Period, Saite
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1923
Accession Number
23.3.890
Art Historical Context
This exquisite raised relief fragment, carved from limestone and coated with varnish, hails from Egypt's Late Period during the Saite 26th Dynasty (664–610 B.C.). a modest 12.5 x 14.5 x 4.8 cm, it offers a tantalizing glimpse into the refined artistry of a time when Egypt experienced a cultural renaissance under rulers like Psamtik I. After centuries of foreign domination, the Saite pharaohs revived the grandeur of Old Kingdom styles, commissioning works that blended tradition with innovation to assert national identity and divine order. In Egyptian art, raised relief was a masterful techniqu...