Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection Berlin

Collection:

 

The Time of Nefertiti

 
Due to the excavations carried out in Amarna in 1911 to 1914 the museum received a great number of exquisite masterpieces dated to the most interesting period of Egyptian history the time of queen Nefertiti and king Akhenaton.
The portrait bust of queen Nefertiti is one of the most famous works of art in the world. Half a million visitors admire her timeless beauty each year.
  • Bust of Nefertiti
  • Bust of Akhenaten
  • Princess of the Amarna period
  • Relief of Akhenaton
  • Stele used as an Altar showing Akhenaten, Nefertiti and 3 daughters
  • Nefertiti
click on a picture to receive more information
  •  
    Bust of Nefertiti

    Nefertiti
    Head of a Statue of a Queen

    Head of a Statue of a Queen
    New Kingdom
    18th Dynasty, ca. 1340 B.C.
    Quartzite
    Height 30 cm
    Amarna
    Inv.-No. 21200

    Eventhough this statue is unfinished it represents a masterpiece of late Amarna art with the characteristic almond shaped eyes, soft full lips lightly coloured red and the soft modelling of the face. The plinth on top of the head was originally covered by a separately work crown, the main indication that here a queen is represented. Possible Nefertiti herself is shown. or one of her daughters Meritaton or Anchesenpaaton married to Semenchkare and Tutankhamen respectively.
  •  
    Bust of Akhenaten

    Head of a Statue of Akhenaton

    New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1340 B.C.
    Stucco/gypsum
    Height 26 cm
    Amarna
    Inv.-No. 21351


    The typical characteristics of the face of Akhenaton can be found here: triangular face, thin chin heavy eyelids long straight nose with accentuated nasolabial furrows and hollow cheeks and very full lips. The diadem at the forehead and the curved section over the ears indicate that the blue crown was part of the sculpture and therefore a king is indicated. The black painted lines in the area of the nose chin and eyes also indicate that the sculpture was not yet finished as were many sculpture found in the workshop of Tuthmosis in Amarna.
  •  
    Princess of the Amarna period

    Head of a Statue of a Princess

    New Kingdom
    18th Dynasty, ca. 1340 B.C.
    Quartzite,
    Height 21,2 cm,
    Amarna,
    Inv.-No. 21223

    The artistically elongated head represents one of the characteristic features of the royal family in the Amarna period. While the crowns worn by Nefertiti and Akhenaton cover elongated skulls, the headform of the royal daughters is much more artistically exaggerated, as a counterweight to the thin neck and lightly bend head. Only the inlays for eyes and eyebrows are still missing; the complete statue was most likely assemble from separately worked parts, probably of different materials.
  •  
    Relief of Akhenaton

    Relief study of King Akhenaton

    New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1340 B.C.
    Limestone
    Height 15 cm
    Inv.-No. 14512



    The so-called 'excessive' style at the beginning of the Amarna period is especially obvious with this small relief study.
    The thin face, heavy eyelids over narrow, slightly slanting eyes, long, hanging chin, long nose, emphasised nasolabial folds, full lips as well as the forward curve of the neck all characterize the early representations of king Akhenaton. The contrast between soft and sharp forms, weak and strong contours of the face have been excellently captured by the artist.
  •  
    House-Shrine

    House-shrine

    New Kingdom
    18th Dynasty, ca. 1340 B.C.
    Limestone
    Height 32,5 cm
    Amarna
    Inv.-No 14145

    This small stele, probably used as a home altar, gives an seldom opportunity to view a scene from the private live of the king and queen. Akhenaton and Nefertiti are shown with the three oldest of their five daughter. While the daughters are being held and caressed by their parents the placement of the god Aten in the centre of the scene reminds of the official monotheistic religion in the Amarna period. Aten is represented as a sundisc with sunrays ending in hands proffering 'ank'-signs (life-signs) to the royal couple.
    Only through the intercession of Nefertiti and Akhenaton could ordinary people partake in the divine salvation.
    The body forms shown on the relief, the overlong proportions, wide hips, thin legs and the forward curved necks, are typical of the early Amarna artistic style.
  •  
    Nefertiti

    Bust of Queen Nefertiti

    New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1340 B.C.
    Limestone, gypsum, crystal and wax
    Height 50 cm
    Amarna
    Inv.-No. 21300

    This bust is one of the first ranking works of Egyptian art mostly due to the excellent preservation of the colour and the fine modelling of the face. She was found in 1912 during the excavations of the German-Orient-Association in city of Achet-Aton, today known as Amarna. The individualized face and the special crown, tall, flat-topped decorated with a ribbon and the remains of a uraeus at the front identify the statue as Nefertiti. The bust served , as did many other masks found in the workshop of the Tuthmosis, as a model for artists producing portraits of the queen. She is shown as a grown woman with a harmonic and balanced beauty which is not disturbed by the slight folds under the eyes and chin as well as the slightly sunk cheeks.

    The bust is made of limestone which is covered with modelled gypsum. The eye is inlayed with crystal and the pupil attached with black coloured wax. The second eye-inlay was never carried out.
Last updates: text (04.07.09), pictures (02.06.09)
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