Figured Ostracon with Head of Akhenaten
Description
Object Label: Art of the Amarna period is characterized by a distinctive exaggeration and elongation of facial features and limbs. Artists learning the style sketched elements of scenes as well as larger compositions on flakes of limestone or potsherds, known as ostraca. Because sketches were typically discarded soon after they were finished, artists preferred to sketch on the readily available ostraca, rather than on expensive papyrus. The ostracon displayed here represents Akhenaten and a fist holding a horse’s reigns. Some scholars have interpreted it as a study for a scene of Akhenaten on a chariot. Others see it as a caricature, due to Akhenaten’s exaggerated features. Caption: Figured Ostracon with Head of Akhenaten, ca. 1352–1336 B.C.E.. Limestone, pigment, 4 11/16 x 5 5/8 x 1 in. (11.9 x 14.3 x 2.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Egypt Exploration Society, 36.876. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
AI image analysis GPT-4o-2024-08-06
Machine-generated from the object's image on May 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
Limestone fragment depicting a profile of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
The artifact is a limestone fragment featuring a finely drawn black line sketch. The depicted scene shows a detailed profile of Pharaoh Akhenaten, identifiable by his distinct facial features and regal headdress. An additional hand is visible holding an object, likely a scepter. The style is indicative of the Amarna period, characterized by a more naturalistic representation compared to earlier periods.
Cross-references (2)
- BKM-Accession 36.876 tier-2
- BKM-Object 46928 tier-2
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Brooklyn Museum — Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art.
- AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
- Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
- Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.