Male (originally red) head for composite statuette
Unknown Artist
664–30 B.C.
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
H. 4.3 × W. 2.8 × T. 2.8 cm (1 11/16 × 1 1/8 × 1 1/8 in.)
Classification
Insert, man's head
Period
Late Period–Ptolemaic Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.194.2465
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate glass head, originally vibrant red, once formed part of a composite statuette from ancient Egypt's Late Period to Ptolemaic era (664–30 B.C.). Measuring just 4.3 cm high, it depicts a male figure with finely modeled features—smooth contours, a broad face, and an expression of quiet dignity. Crafted for assembly with a body of other materials like wood or faience, such heads were common in votive figures placed in household shrines or tombs, embodying ancestors, deities, or protective spirits. Egyptian glassmaking reached sophisticated heights during this time, blending tradition...