Fragment of sarcophagus
Limestone. h. 74 cm, l. 64 cm, w. 29 cm
Late Period (722 – 332 BC)
Asasif region, Thebes
Cat. 2206
This limestone fragment of sarcophagus is the result of very meticulous reconstruction. The final result restores only the upper part of the lid of a sarcophagus of the Late Period (722 – 332 BC) which, for the type of material used and the technique of workmanship, detailed and refined, must have belonged to an elevated Theban dignitary.
Its date can be deduced from its style. Traits peculiar to the Late Period are certainly the almond-shaped eyes, accentuated by the line of kohl which continues towards the temples, by the eyebrows, whose shape is not reproduced in relief but rendered with a special shading technique, and the nose and lips, which are reminiscent of the somatic traits of the Nubian Pharaohs of the 25th dynasty (722- 664 BC). A smooth tripartite wig which leaves the ears uncovered surrounds the face with its full cheeks and prominent cheekbones.
The lack of inscriptions on the part that has survived, and therefore the name, prevents us from determining the sex of the owner. The distinctive elements that would enable us to identify it are missing.