Fragment of a royal woman's face

Reign of Akhenaten, 1353 - 1336 B.C.
Jasper; h. 13 cm, w. 12.5 cm, d. 11.5 cm
Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York

The semiprecious stone and superb carving of this fragment indicate that it was part of a statue depicting a royal woman, possibly Queen Tiye or Nefertiti. While the face was of jasper, the remainder of the statue would have been made of other stone. The sensuous beauty of this fragment has made it one of the most renowned objects from the Amarna Period.