House Altar depicting Akhenaten, Nefertiti and three daughters.
Base Relief Carving, Limestone, New Kingdom, Amarna Period, 18th Dynasty, c.1350 BCE
From the 3,350 year old ruins of Tell el Amarna, in this golden depiction of royal life, Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and three of their daughters are enjoying an intimate afternoon under the rays of the only image of God a human being could see and feel: The Aten (or, Sun).
Referred to as the “heretic pharaoh,” Amenhotep the IV changed his name to Akhenaten, “beloved of the Aten,” and ruthlessly exiled the pantheon of Egyptian gods, catapulting Egyptian civilization into dreaded chaos. After more than 1,000 years, the long established Amun-Ra religious cult and its priests were becoming more powerful than the Pharaoh. As a response to this imposition, Akhenaten declared them obsolete by creating the first monotheistic religion in a world of vested polytheism. To enhance this course of action, Akhenaten encouraged a stylistic change in art from stiff and confining rectilinear forms to the naturalistic voluptuous curvilinear as another hallmark of his "new era." During Akhenaten’s 17-year reign, Egyptian art was transformed from strict rules to a more relaxed realistic portrayal of the royal family famously known as the Amarna period.
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Seated on the left, Pharaoh Akhenaten, holds Merytaten , his eldest daughter up to the rays of the Aten. He tenderly supports her head and thighs with his hands and offers a loving kiss as she points to her beloved mother, Nefertiti, for approval. |
To the right of the stele, seated on Queen Nefertiti’s knee, Meketaten, the second eldest daughter points to her father’s generous display of affection toward her sister. The youngest and future sister-wife of Tutankhamun, Ankhesenpaaten (later Ankhesenamun), is supported by Nefertiti's arm and shoulder, she affectionately uses her hand to caress her mother's face in adoration. |
Central to the domestic scene is the image of the Aten, the solar disc emitting singular rays ending in little hands holding the symbolic key of life: the A-n-k-h. The iconography of the solar disc in association with the royal family was propagated to encourage the noble class to embrace the new monotheistic religion, loyalty to Akhenaten and his family as direct descendants of the Aten.
Due to incestual relationships to maintain blood royal, this family shared unusual traits and physical characteristics not found in other Egyptians of the period. The Amarna style and familial love depicted in this spectacular work of art from the ancient world, distinguishes this family apart from all the pharaohs that came before and after. Upon the death of Tutankhamun, this style disappeared, hidden away until its discovery in the early nineteenth century, leaving an indelible and mysterious legacy for all who live under the rays of the Sun to this day.
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FACES OF AFRICA:
A Mystical View of
Tribal Heritage
(38 Replica Masks and Sculptures)
On View at the
Museum of Ancient Wonders
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TUTANKHAMUN:
"Wonderful Things"
Treasures From The Pharaoh's Tomb
(124 Egyptian replicas)
On view at the
Museum of Ancient Wonders
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MESOZOICA:
The Age of Dinosaurs
(Approximately 100 fossil cast dinosaur elements and fully-mounted skeletons from around the world.)
On view at the
Museum of Ancient Wonders
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LUCY:
The Story of Human Origins
(Courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins and the National Museum of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa)
On view exclusively at the
Museum of Ancient Wonders
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