Fig. 1: The class admiring the bust of Nefertiti |
For the
first session, we had an outline of the course followed by a brief introduction
to the major characters of the Amarna Period. Five objects were selected for
the handling session, with the full size replica of Nefertiti’s bust being the
star attraction. W1011 (fig. 2) was purchased by George
Kerferd (1915–1998) sometime around 1960. At the time, Kerferd was
Professor of Classics at Swansea and had started a small teaching collection
for the Department (Griffiths 2000, 6). The original bust of Nefertiti was
discovered on the 6th December 1912 at Amarna by the German excavation team
headed by Ludwig Borchardt. Now in Berlin (ÄM 21300), the bust is perhaps the
most well-known depiction of an ancient Egyptian woman. However, while it is
considered an archetype of female beauty, we cannot be sure that Nefertiti
actually looked like this. As with all Egyptian art, representations were
idealised and stylised. It seems probable that the bust in Swansea was made
from the Berlin original by the sculptor Tina Wentcher (born
Ernestine Haim). She produced a number of replicas in the years following World
War I and there are now many examples scattered throughout the world.
Fig. 2: Bust of Nefertiti (W1011) |
Another
popular object during the session was W11 (fig. 3), one of four broad collars in
the Egypt Centre collection, which will all be featured over the coming weeks. These
four collars were allegedly acquired by Ellinor Frances Berens (1842–1924) in
the 1880s, shortly after the royal tombs at Amarna were being pillaged (Blackman
1917, 45–46). They were later purchased by Sir Henry Wellcome in 1924 (lots
66–69). However, the evidence for their having coming from the Amarna tombs
remains circumstantial. Broad collars seem to have been a common feature of
Egyptian dress, although it is unusual to find collars with the thread still
intact. Often dealers made up collars with beads from a variety of sources and of
different dates, something that possibly occurred with ours. However, the beads
do seem to date to the same period, the Eighteenth Dynasty, which reinforces
the idea that the thread is genuine (Bosse-Griffiths 2001). In addition, the
thread is linen, which is what the ancient Egyptians used whereas modern
forgers tended to use cotton. We have considered having the thread radiocarbon
dated, but this would destroy a small part of it. Additionally, if the thread were
found to be ancient, this still would not prove that the collars were not made
up in Victorian times.
Fig. 3: Broad collar (W11) |
W962 is a
small fragment of a blue glazed composition throwstick, which is decorated on
either side with cartouches of Akhenaten next to wadjet-eyes (fig. 4). Given that the throwstick is made out of a
glazed composition (faience), it could not have been functional. Instead, it
must have been symbolic or intended for the afterlife. According to Stevens
(2006, 18), over twenty fragments of faience throwsticks have been found at
Amarna. A complete example in the British Museum (BM
EA 34213), which was apparently found by locals in the royal tomb at
Amarna, suggests that the end would have had decoration showing a lotus-flower
(Martin 1974, pl. 51 [301]. The overall design of the throwstick and decoration
upon faience examples changed over time (Pinch 1993, 295). Amarna throwsticks
have a more shallow curve than earlier ones, perhaps suggesting that they had
ceased to be an object for actual hunting. W962 appears to have been part of
the collection of Richard Bethell (1883–1929), which was purchased by Wellcome
in 1924 (lot 373). Bethell was Howard Carter’s personal secretary, who assisted
in the excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamun (Bierbrier 2019, 49).
Fig. 4: Throwstick fragment (W962) |
The final
two objects are fragments of faience ring bezels, which were part of the EES
excavations at Amarna in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1976, the EES transferred a large
group of objects from their excavations, including Amarna, to the British
Museum, who in turn offered some of them to Swansea in 1978. Ring bezels with
cartouches were introduced by Amenhotep III and remained popular until the end
of the New Kingdom (Shannon 1987; Shaw 1984). In fact, W1160q contains part of
the name Nebmaatre, which is the prenomen of Amenhotep III (Fig. 5). The second
bezel, W1060k, has part of the name Neferkheperure-waenre, the prenomen of
Akhenaten (Fig. 6). Further searching of the EES
object cards from Amarna will hopefully help identify the actual excavation
numbers and findspots!
Fig. 5: Ring bezel of Amenhotep III (W1160q) |
Fig. 6: Ring bezel of Akhenaten (W1160k) |
Bibliography:
Bierbrier, M. L. (2019) Who
was who in Egyptology. London: The Egypt Exploration Society. 5th edition.
Blackman, A. M. (1917) ‘The Nugent and Haggard Collections
of Egyptian Antiquities’. Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 4, 1: 39–46.
Bosse-Griffiths, K. (2001) ‘Bead
collars with Amarna amulets in the Wellcome Collection of the University
College, Swansea’. In Amarna
Studies and other Selected Papers, ed. J. G. Griffiths. Freiburg
(Schweiz); Göttingen: Universitätsverlag; Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. 27–30.
Griffiths, J. G. (2000) ‘Museum
efforts before Wellcome’. Inscriptions: The Newsletter of the Friends of
the Egypt Centre, Swansea 5: 6.
Martin, G. T. (1974) The rock
tombs of El-‘Amarna. Part 7:
The Royal Tomb at El-‘Amarna 1, the objects Archaeological
Survey of Egypt 35. London: Egypt Exploration Society.
Pinch, G. (1993) Votive
offerings to Hathor. Oxford: Griffith Institute, Ashmolean Museum.
Shannon, E. (1987)
‘Bezels
with royal names from the Workmen’s Village 1979–1986’. In Amarna reports IV, ed. B. J. Kemp. Egypt
Exploration Society, Occasional Publications 5. London: Egypt Exploration
Society. 154–159.
Shaw, I. (1984) ‘Ring
bezels at el-Amarna’. In Amarna
reports I, ed. B. J. Kemp. Egypt Exploration Society, Occasional
Publications 1. London: Egypt Exploration Society. 124–132.
Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge
(1924) Catalogue of Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek & Roman antiquities,
&c.: comprising the collection formed by H. Griebert, Esq. of Berkeley
House, Finchley Road, N.W.; including Egyptian amulets, and figures in pottery,
silver and bronze; Greek vases, etc.; the property of Mrs. J. Waugh; the
property of Sir Henry Paul Harvey, K.C.M.G.; the Berens collection of
Babylonian tablets, the property of Mrs. Randolph Berens, of 14, Princes
Gardens, S.W.; a fine Græco-Roman marble head of Heracles from the collection
of the late Carl Brownlow at Ashbridge, and other properties, including Roman
bronze work, Peruvians and Græco-Phœnician gold ornaments, etc.; which will be
sold by auction by Messrs.
Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge
... on Thursday, the 28th of February, 1924. London: Sotheby, Wilkinson
& Hodge.
Stevens, A. (2006) Private
Religion at Amarna. BAR International Series 1587. Oxford: Archaeopress.
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