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Egyptian Artifacts

Reliefs from Amarna – featuring Nefertiti!

This is a painted limestone sunken relief of Nefertiti π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“„€π“„€π“„€π“„€π“„€π“‡π“π“­.

Relief of Nefertiti at the Brooklyn Museum

Even though her name does not appear on the relief, thanks to the uniqueness of the Amarna art style, it can be easy to tell who is who in the art. The headdress that Nefertiti π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“„€π“„€π“„€π“„€π“„€π“‡π“π“­ is wearing in this relief is the same headdress that the famous Nefertiti π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“„€π“„€π“„€π“„€π“„€π“‡π“π“­ bust in Berlin wears! You can also see the phrase β€œ 𓏙𓋹” which means β€œgiven life” above her head. The rest of the inscription cannot be read.

The second relief is a raised relief and it was once part of a larger image. It shows feet in sandals! The description from the museum says it’s from an unidentified woman π“Šƒπ“π“‚‘π“π“ or queen π“‡“π“π“π“ˆž. This could be Nefertiti π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“„€π“„€π“„€π“„€π“„€π“‡π“π“­, or one of her and Akhenaten’s π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ– daughters.

Feet In Sandals relief at the Brooklyn Museum

The third piece is a bust. According to the museum, scholars used to think this was a bust of Akhenaten π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ–, Smenkhare π“‡³π“Šƒπ“‰»π“‚“π“‚¦π“†£, or Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“. However, more recently, it is thought to show Ankhesenpaaten, the second daughter of Akhenaten π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…žπ“π“ˆ– and Nefertiti π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“„€π“„€π“„€π“„€π“„€π“‡π“π“­. Ankhesenpaaten was the wife/queen π“‡“π“π“π“ˆž of Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ and during his rule changed her name to Ankhesenamun to reflect the switch back to the old religion. The name Ankhesenamun means β€œshe who lives through Amun.”

Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ also went through a name change when he switched Egypt’s π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– religion back – his original name was Tutankhaten π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“‡³!