This portrait shows how the Greek Ptolemies adopted traditional Egyptian art styles, reflecting their respect for local aesthetics and political customs.
The Nemes is an attribute reserved solely for the pharaoh, whilst the uraeus over the forehead, which is symbolic of the goddess Wadjet, represents divinity, sovereignty, and royal authority over Lower Egypt. The facial features, with softly modelled brow, crisp eyelids, slightly smiling mouth, and well- defined ears attest to the finesse of the craftsmanship.
The piece is part of a category known as "Sculptors’ Models", which were used from the Old Kingdom through to the end of the Ptolemaic period. They were likely practice pieces for training artists in royal proportions using the Egyptian grid system. While mainly instructional, some may have also served as votive offerings. Their continued use under the Ptolemies reflects the lasting influence of royal imagery and helped link the new rulers to Egypt’s pharaonic past.
Provenance
Edward Drummond Libbey (1854-1925), Toledo, Ohio, USAThe Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio, USA; gifted from the above, 1906, acc. no. 1906.224
Property from the Toledo Museum of Art, Sold to Benefit the Acquisitions Fund; Christie's, New York, Antiquities, 25th October 2016, lot 10
Private collection, USA; acquired 2017
Literature
Compare Paul Edmund Stanwick, Portraits of the Ptolemies: Greek Kings as Egyptian Pharaohs, (University of Texas Press, 2002), no.A22, illustrated fig.17.Publications
Catalogue of a Collection of Egyptian Antiquities, Brought Together and Presented to The Toledo Museum of Art by Mr. Edward Drummond Libbey, Toledo, 1906, p.36, no.224, here listed as a 'Sphinx Head'.Christie's, New York, Antiquities, 25th October 2016, lot 10
