Ring Inscribed for Queen Tiye
Unknown Artist
ca. 1390–1352 B.C.
Medium
Faience
Dimensions
L. 2.4 cm (15/16 in)
Classification
Ring, Tiye, king's wife
Period
New Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1911
Accession Number
11.215.83
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate faience ring, inscribed for Queen Tiye, hails from Egypt's New Kingdom, specifically Dynasty 18 (ca. 1390–1352 B.C.), a golden age of imperial power and artistic splendor under pharaohs like Amenhotep III, Tiye's husband. Measuring just 2.4 cm long, this tiny jewel was likely a finger ring or scaraboid, personalized with hieroglyphs honoring the queen—a formidable consort and mother whose influence extended across politics and religion. Crafted from faience, a glazed composite of quartz, lime, and clay fired to a vibrant turquoise hue, the ring mimics precious stones like lapis ...