Standing figure of Nefertiti (Berlin 21263)
| Standing figure of Nefertiti | |
|---|---|
 Complete view of the standing figure of Nefertiti from the side and front
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| material | limestone |
| Dimensions | H. 40 cm; |
| origin | Tell el Amarna , house P 47.2 |
| time | New Kingdom , 18th Dynasty , early Amarna period |
| place | Berlin , Egyptian Museum , Berlin 21263 |
The standing figure of Nefertiti with the inventory number Berlin 21263 is now in the Egyptian Museum Berlin . It is dated to the early Amarna period .
As the " Great Royal Wife ", Nefertiti played a special role in the history of ancient Egypt . That is why various round and flat sculptural representations of her have been preserved. Almost complete statues are rare, however. Around the year 1350 BC The 40 cm high standing figure from the limestone collection in Berlin is dated to the 4th century and is considered the most outstanding of these preserved specimens. It is one of the main works of the realistic phase of Amarna art.
The statue was in 1920 during an excavation by the German Oriental Society in the House P 47.2 , the sculpture studio of the upper sculptor Thutmose , in Tell el Amarna found. It was acquired by James Simon , who donated it to the Egyptian Museum. The figure was broken into several parts when it was found and is still incomplete today. Almost the entire right arm, parts of the left upper arm, parts of the ears, the toes and the nipples are missing. The lower legs are a modern addition. The preliminary drawings on the material indicate that the small statue was only in an intermediate stage of completion. It can therefore be assumed that some corrections should still be made. The color reproduction of some contours, especially the face, should probably help to better check the image effect achieved so far.
Nefertiti is shown striding slightly with her left leg. It stands on a base plate. The back of the sculpture is connected by a bridge to a back pillar that extends from the floor to the back of the head. Nefertiti wears sandals and a transparent robe that can only be recognized by the sleeves on the arms. The body contours stand out below it. The viewer has to imagine Nefertiti's robe as almost transparent. This form of representation is typical of the art of the Amarna period. The queen is depicted as a no longer young woman after the birth of several children. The image of the queen, which can thus be assumed to be quite lifelike, does not correspond to the ideals of beauty in ancient Egyptian art that were valid until then . Both the face as well as the stomach, the buttocks and the breasts show signs of age in a believable way. This form of shaping the human body is a novelty in Egyptian art.
The queen's head is crowned by a close-fitting hood. A headband is visible underneath, on which there are still traces of yellow paint. A dowel hole is visible above the forehead, in which the metal front part of the royal uraeus snake was attached. The rest of the snake's body coils on the top of the hood. The mouth is colored red, the eyelids and eyebrows are traced in black. At the neck and just above the chest, remains of another black preliminary drawing can be seen, which suggest a broad shoulder collar.
literature
- Klaus Finneiser : Standing figure of Nefertiti. In: Karl-Heinz Priese (Ed.): The Egyptian Museum Berlin. von Zabern, Mainz 1991, ISBN 3-8053-1184-2 , pp. 108-110
Coordinates: 52 ° 31 '10 " N , 13 ° 23' 54" E