Name: EGYPTIAN PHARAOH
Time: c. 500 – 200 BC
Location: Egypt

This beautiful bust of an Egyptian Pharaoh is a testimony to the skill and artistry of an ancient sculptor. Carved from scarce red granite, this bust was probably placed in a tomb of a high functionary to give the deceased greater stature in the afterlife. The royal head cloth, or nemes, surmounted by the royal cobra, uraeus, identifies this as a Pharaoh. The stone bridge under the chin was originally used to support a false beard. The calm, regal features remind us that he was looked on as a god. Even in the Ptolemaic era Pharaohs still retained their divine right. Cleopatra was the last of the Ptolemies.