Head of a Priest

The Twenty-fifth Dynasty, ruled by pharaohs of Nubian origin, is frequently described as a period of artistic renaissance, recalling the glorious days of Egypt's past. This era also witnessed the revitalization of private sculpture, which was from that time onward produced almost exclusively for placement in temple precincts. There was a wide range of statue types, manufactured in both bronze and stone, that were intended to emphasize the piety of an individual and to secure for them divine favor in perpetuity. Many sculptures from the Twenty-fifth Dynasty, with their naturalistic features, foreshadow the portrait heads of the subsequent Saite and Late Periods.

This head represents a priest, as indicated by the partial inscription on the reserve, and is an excellent example of the sculptural tradition of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty. Due to the nature of the break, it is impossible to determine the original posture of the figure, although it is likely that he held an object, perhaps a shrine or emblem of the deity with whose temple he was associated.