Talatat with Nubians and Syrians in Adoration
Unknown Artist
ca. 1349–1336 B.C.
Medium
Sandstone
Dimensions
L. 52.4 × H. 11.4 × Th. 3.1 cm, 2.8 kg (20 5/8 × 4 1/2 × 1 1/4 in., 6.2 lb.)
Classification
Talatat, Syrians, Nubians, Amarna
Period
New Kingdom, Amarna Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian, 2020
Accession Number
2021.41.172
Art Historical Context
This striking sandstone talatat block, dating to around 1349–1336 B.C., captures Nubians and Syrians in of adoration, likely paying homage to the sun god Aten during Egypt's revolutionary Amarna Period. Carved in the New Kingdom under Pharaoh Akhenaten, small, standardized blocks (talatat) were mass-produced for the swift construction of vast temples at Karnak and Akhenaten's new capital, Amarna. just over 20 inches long, piece exemplifies the era's innovative building techniques, enabling monumental relief programs that filled walls with vibrant scenes of royal piety. Artistically, the low-r...