Torso of a Ptolemaic King, inscribed with cartouches of a late Ptolemy

Torso of a Ptolemaic King, inscribed with cartouches of a late Ptolemy

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The names preserved on this fine torso are probably those of either Ptolemy XII or Ptolemy XV. In its waning years the Ptolemaic Dynasty was struggling for stability and was increasingly dependent on Rome. As though seeking to transcend the difficulties of the period, Ptolemy XII took the title Neos Dionysus, “the New Dionysus/ Osiris.” A number of sculptures exist depicting him as an emphatically youthful figure. The best alternative candidate, Ptolemy XV, also known as Caesarion, was the short-lived son of Cleopatra VII and Julius Caesar.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Torso of a Ptolemaic King, inscribed with cartouches of a late PtolemyTorso of a Ptolemaic King, inscribed with cartouches of a late PtolemyTorso of a Ptolemaic King, inscribed with cartouches of a late PtolemyTorso of a Ptolemaic King, inscribed with cartouches of a late PtolemyTorso of a Ptolemaic King, inscribed with cartouches of a late Ptolemy

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.