This small but intriguing work depicts a royal woman wearing an
archaic, globular wig with horizontal striations and a bald area above
the forehead. The uraeus cobra at the brow marks the woman's royal
status. Uniquely, a pair of vultures with outstretched wings forms a
protective band on top of the head. Most striking, however, is the thick
cloak with its stiff collar. It is pulled tight over the figure's
crossed arms, leaving the top of the chest and the shoulders bare; only
the left hand emerges from the garment. The combination of this garment
and the unusual hairstyle is known from a few early Old Kingdom reliefs
depicting royal women, two of them mothers. The preserved part of this
woman's face, with its hooded eyes, places the work, however, securely
in the late Middle Kingdom.Statuette of a queen, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 12–Early Dynasty 13 (ca. 1825–1750 B.C.)
Egyptian
Schist
H. 6 3/8 in. (16.3 cm)
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