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Ancient Egyptian Limestone Head of a Ptolemaic King
- This ancient limestone head depicts a king of Egypt’s Ptolemaic Period
- The king wears the nemes headdress, a powerful symbol of pharaonic authority
- Its survival for more than two thousand years offers a remarkable link to ancient Egyptian kingship
- The sculpture was displayed at the Mougins Museum of Classical Art for over a decade
- Get complete item description here
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Carved more than two thousand years ago, this limestone head presents an Egyptian king wearing the traditional nemes headdress, an enduring emblem of pharaonic power. Formerly in the Christian Levett Collection, the sculpture was displayed at the Mougins Museum of Classical Art in France for over a decade and later featured in the exhibition Caesar & Cleopatra at the Historical Museum of the Palatinate. . .
Carved more than two thousand years ago, this limestone head presents an Egyptian king wearing the traditional nemes headdress, an enduring emblem of pharaonic power. Formerly in the Christian Levett Collection, the sculpture was displayed at the Mougins Museum of Classical Art in France for over a decade and later featured in the exhibition Caesar & Cleopatra at the Historical Museum of the Palatinate in Speyer, Germany.
The broad headdress frames the king’s face while leaving his ears exposed. Full cheeks, softly modeled lips and a slight smile lend the portrait a serene, idealized expression, recalling representations of Ptolemy II and suggesting a possible identification. Above the forehead, the headdress once bore a uraeus, a rearing cobra associated with divine protection and royal authority, likely fashioned from metal.
Egypt’s Ptolemaic rulers descended from the Macedonian Greek general Ptolemy I, a successor to Alexander the Great. Although Greek in origin, they embraced the imagery of the ancient pharaohs to affirm their legitimacy as sovereigns of Egypt. Royal portraits such as this head expressed that continuity, preserving the visual language of Egyptian kingship during the dynasty that culminated in the reign of Cleopatra VII.
On base: 14" high x 11 1/2" wide x 12" deep
Exhibited: Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Mougins, France, June 2011–August 2023, inv. no. MMoCA196
Caesar & Cleopatra, Historical Museum of the Palatinate, Speyer, Germany, April 13–October 26, 2025
Literature: P. Clayton, “Ancient Egypt,” in Mark Merrony, ed., Mougins Museum of Classical Art, 2011, p. 54, no. 44
Provenance:
Private collection, Switzerland, acquired in London in the late 1960s
Christian Levett Collection, Mougins Museum of Classical Art, acquired in 2008
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
| Period: | Ancient |
| Type: | Antiquities |
| Depth: | 12.0 in. (30.48 cm) |
| Width: | 11.5 in. (29.21 cm) |
| Height: | 14.0 in. (35.56 cm) |
Buy With Confidence
For over a century, we've placed important art, rare jewels and exceptional objects with more than 14,000 collectors worldwide, and have been recognized by trusted publications including Robb Report, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and more.
On Approval
Examine select works in person before you commit
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Full credit plus 5% annual appreciation for five years
Trusted Expertise
Over two centuries of combined experience across our specialists
