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Head of Ankhkhonsu
Egyptian
Late Period, Dynasty 26
664–525 B.C.
Object Place: Egypt, Possibly from Karnak
Medium/Technique
Greywacke
Dimensions
Height x width x depth: 19.5 x 18.5 x 15 cm (7 11/16 x 7 5/16 x 5 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Emily Esther Sears Fund
Accession Number04.1841
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAncient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East
ClassificationsSculpture
DescriptionTwo basic trends may be distinguished in Late Period portraiture: idealizing and nonidealizing. They existed side by side. The subjects of idealizing portraits appear youthful, while nonidealizing portraits show them as mature or even aged. The beautifully carved head of Ankhkhonsu exemplifies the idealizing approach in Late Period sculpture. The face is youthful and serene, without line or blemish. The nose, which is preserved intact, is fine and straight. After being identified in 1979 as belonging with one of the headless block statues in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, the inscriptions on the statue provided the subject's name, Ankhkhonsu.
ProvenanceProbably from Karnak. 1903: purchased in Luxor from Mohamed Mohasseb by Albert M. Lythgoe for the MFA. The body (Cairo JE 37997) was discovered in 1905 in the Karnak Cachette.
(Accession Date: January 1, 1904)
(Accession Date: January 1, 1904)