Inlay:  Head of a King

Description

This miniature carved stone profile depicts a left-facing Egyptian king. The inlay was once part of a larger scene, with a cutaway on the king’s head clearly leaving room for an Egyptian crown and the neckline for a traditional broad collar. It is skillfully carved and made from red jasper, a semiprecious stone. The naturalistic handling of the cheeks and mouth date this inlay to the Ptolemaic period. An inlay such as this would have been set into a chest, throne, or even a royal coffin.

Provenance

Said to be from Edfu

Inlay: Head of a King

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380–246 BCE

Accession Number

1966.370

Medium

red jasper

Dimensions

Overall: 4.4 x 3.2 x 1.8 cm (1 3/4 x 1 1/4 x 11/16 in.)

Classification

Inlays

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

James Parmelee Fund