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Head of Ptolemaic King Depicted as a Pharaoh

Culture Egyptian
Title Head of Ptolemaic King Depicted as a Pharaoh
Date 300–100 BCE
Medium Granite
Dimensions Object: 9 3/4 × 9 in. (24.8 × 22.9 cm)
Overall: 9 3/4 × 9 in. (24.8 × 22.9 cm)
Credit Line Gift of Frederick Stafford, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 59.44

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About this Work

In contrast to the Greek mode of presentation used for coinage, this portrait presents the king in purely Egyptian form. Granite was a preferred material for portraits of pharaohs, and the linen nemes headdress with the cobra uraeus is exclusive to pharaohs. Only the soft modeling of the face provides a hint of Hellenic naturalism.


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Head of Ptolemaic King Depicted as a Pharaoh | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=59.44