Head, Ptolemy III (?)

Head, Ptolemy III (?)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wearing the diadem of a Ptolemaic ruler, this head is thought to represent Ptolemy III. The head is broken away from a vessel, probably a shallow cup or a bowl. These types of vessels served for libations in Greek culture, their centers adorned by a relief head (termed an emblema) of a figure from the circle of Dionysius. In Egypt, where the rulers associated themselves strongly with Dionysius, the divine emblema was often replaced by the head of Alexander or a Ptolemaic king. Link to a blog about Ptolemaic Art at The Met Nile and Newcomers: A Fresh Installation of Egyptian Ptolemaic Art

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Head, Ptolemy III (?)Head, Ptolemy III (?)Head, Ptolemy III (?)Head, Ptolemy III (?)Head, Ptolemy 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.