Profile Face Inlay of King Akhenaten

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The characteristic facial features of pharaoh Akhenaten can be recognized in this carnelian inlay, in particular his high cheekbones, and fleshy lips and nostrils. During the Amarna period, inlays of semi-precious stones, as well as those in glass and faience, were used to decorate pieces of jewelry, furniture, and even architectural elements. Examples such as this one, created highly colorful compositions (see 40.2.4).

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.

Metropolitan Museum of Art