THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD, CIRCA 1070-664 B.C.

This large and finely-cast head would have represented a king, wearing a now-missing tripartite wig and fake beard. Despite the loss of all the inlaid elements for the eyebrows, eyes and chin-strap, it still conveys a sense of majestic power and serenity. A very similar large bronze head in the round, still with the tripartite wig and uraeus is now part of the collection of the the Louvre (see inv. no. E 2522). According to the curators it was likely an element from a piece of furniture or a 'divine boat'.
Sacred boats were a type of river barge used for transportation during funerals and religious ceremonies. It is possible that this head would have been used to adorn the prow of a boat, like the boat of Horus found at the Temple of Edfu in Upper Egypt.