Head of Ptolemy II or III

Head of Ptolemy II or III

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Only the head of what was once a rather large bronze statuette is preserved. Examination has shown that the material is a black bronze, an ancient patination that would heighten precious metal inlays, and that the statue had an iron armature. The king has the single-arc brow line and a generally idealized appearance that is found for kings of the fourth century through at least Ptolemy II. However, compared to fourth century kings, the wider eyes and somewhat thicker and flatter lips represent new tendencies best understood in the context of changes happening in the period of Ptolemy II and III.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Head of Ptolemy II or IIIHead of Ptolemy II or IIIHead of Ptolemy II or IIIHead of Ptolemy II or IIIHead of Ptolemy II or III

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.