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Unknown Maker, Egyptian

Sculptor’s Model of a Woman
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Egyptian

Culture

Egyptian

Title

Sculptor’s Model of a Woman

Period

Ptolemaic Period

Year

332-30 BCE

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

limestone

Dimensions

12.7 x 14 x 2.2 cm (5 x 5 1/2 x 7/8 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Anonymous gift

Object Number

2011.40.2

Type

Exhibition History

Ancient Egyptian Galleries
Jun 10, 2014

Label copy

This relief was used as a model for training sculptors in ancient Egypt. It depicts a woman wearing a culture headdress associated with goddesses and royal women as early as the Old Kingdom (2575-2134 BCE). The smooth area above the woman's brow is unfinished; in similar reliefs, this section was carved with locks of hair. The raised ledges at the top corners indicate the original height of the stone, showing how much stone could be cut away. Incised gridlines on the back suggest that the sculptor had planned to carve this side as well. The grid ensured that the composition followed the Egyptian canon of proportions.

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Egyptian
Sculptor’s Model of a Woman, 332-30 BCE
Limestone
12.7 x 14 x 2.2 cm (5 x 5 1/2 x 7/8 inches)
Anonymous gift 2011.40.2

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