Jar Lid with Human Face
The absence of any trace of shoulders indicates that this limestone head was never part of a complete sculpture. It probably served as the lid of a canopic jar, a vessel containing a corpse's vital organs that were removed during mummification. The artist who carved this face followed the dominant style of mid-Dynasty 12, including full, fleshy cheeks, wide open eyes with a high, arcing upper lid, and an overall sense of serenity.
- Medium: Limestone
- Place Made: Egypt
- Dates: ca. 1876-1837 B.C.E.
- Dynasty: middle XII Dynasty
- Period: Middle Kingdom
- Dimensions: 4 x 4 7/16 x 4 1/16 in. (10.2 x 11.2 x 10.3 cm) (show scale)
- Collections:Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
- Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
- Accession Number: 87.78
- Credit Line: Purchased with Funds given by Christos G. Bastis and the Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
- Rights Statement: Creative Commons-BY
- Caption: Jar Lid with Human Face, ca. 1876-1837 B.C.E. Limestone, 4 x 4 7/16 x 4 1/16 in. (10.2 x 11.2 x 10.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased with Funds given by Christos G. Bastis and the Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 87.78. Creative Commons-BY
- Record Completeness: Best (84%)