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Reserve head

4th Dynasty, reign of Khufu, ca. 2609-2584 BC , From Giza, tomb G 4350

 

 

Reserve head

Reserve heads have been found in the substructure of tombs. Only a few more than 30 examples are known from the reign of Khufu. Their precise function remains unclear down to the present. Probably the purposeful damage to the ears and to the back and crown of the head had some magical function; it stands in marked contrast to the careful carving of the sculpture.

Location: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Raum VII

Object data

Object Name

Head

Culture

Ägyptisch

Period

Old Kingdom,

Dated

4th Dynasty, reign of Khufu, ca. 2609-2584 BC

Material

Limestone

Dimensions

H 27,7 cm, B 17,3 cm, T 24,5 cm, G (gesamt) ca. 17 kg

Image rights

Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Ägyptisch - Orientalische Sammlung

Inv. No.

Ägyptische Sammlung, INV 7787

Provenance

1912/13, excavated by the Academy of Sciences, Vienna

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