Face from a Coffin in the Brooklyn Museum, August 2007

Face from a Coffin
Wood, gessoed and painted
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty XXI, circa 1070-945 BC
Probably from Thebes
Accession # 37.2037E

This face from a coffin is treated in a manner called "hieroglyphic." Its features are like individual hieroglyphs and are not totally integrated into the face by means of organic modeling.

This piece is dated to Dynasty XXI and attributed to Thebes because it resembles very closely many faces on coffins of that time and place. The face's shape and features reflect the revival of the artistic style of the earlier part of Dynasty XVIII (circa 1539-1390 BC) or early Dynasty XIX (circa 1295-1250 BC), some of whose art was influenced by the art of early Dynasty XVIII.

Text from the Brooklyn Museum label.