"Reserve head"
"Reserve head"
3D
Published 2019-03-27T11:40:34+00:00
White limestone portrait of a woman with delicate and refined features marked by deep set eyes and a sharply pointed nose; Ears broken, both nostrils chipped. Otherwise perfect.
Provenance
From Giza, Tomb G 4540 A. 1913: excavated by the Harvard University–Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA by the government of Egypt.
(Accession Date: March 1, 1921)
Reserve heads (also known as 'Magical Heads' or 'Replacement Heads') are distinctive sculptures made primarily of fine limestone that have been found in a number of non-royal tombs of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt; particularly from the reigns of pyramid-building pharaohs Khufu to Khafre. Whilse each of the heads share characteristics in common with each other, the striking individuality of the pieces make them some of the earliest examples of portrait sculpture in existence. Their purpose is not entirely clear, but it is suggested that the head was made to serve as an alternate home for the spirit of the dead owner should anythingh happen to its body.
Photography and photogrammetry by Zhejiang University.
| Date published | 27/03/2019 |
| Schwierigkeitsgrad | Easy |
| Title | "Reserve head" |
| Date | 2551–2528 B.C. |
| Dimension | Height x width x depth: 23.5 x 13 x 19 cm (9 1/4 x 5 1/8 x 7 1/2 in.) |
| Accession | 21.328 |
| Period | Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4, reign of Khufu |
| Medium | Limestone |
| Credit | Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition |
| Record | https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/reserve-head-143594 |
| Artist | Unknown artist |
| Place | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston |
