{"product_id":"ancient-egyptian-limestone-head-of-a-ptolemaic-king","title":"Ancient Egyptian Limestone Head of a Ptolemaic King","description":"Egyptian Limestone Head of a King Ptolemaic Period, 332–30 BCE \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Carved more than two thousand years ago, this limestone head presents an Egyptian king wearing the traditional \u003cem\u003enemes\u003c\/em\u003e 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 \u003cem\u003eCaesar \u0026amp; Cleopatra\u003c\/em\u003e at the Historical Museum of the Palatinate in Speyer, Germany. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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 \u003cem\u003euraeus\u003c\/em\u003e, a rearing cobra associated with divine protection and royal authority, likely fashioned from metal. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e On base: 14\" high x 11 1\/2\" wide x 12\" deep \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Exhibited: Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Mougins, France, June 2011–August 2023, inv. no. MMoCA196\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eCaesar \u0026amp; Cleopatra\u003c\/em\u003e, Historical Museum of the Palatinate, Speyer, Germany, April 13–October 26, 2025 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Literature: P. Clayton, “Ancient Egypt,” in Mark Merrony, ed., \u003cem\u003eMougins Museum of Classical Art\u003c\/em\u003e, 2011, p. 54, no. 44 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, Switzerland, acquired in London in the late 1960s\u003cbr\u003e Christian Levett Collection, Mougins Museum of Classical Art, acquired in 2008\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46244106567815,"sku":"32-2705","price":78500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-2705_1.png?v=1792443669","url":"https:\/\/rauantiques.com\/products\/ancient-egyptian-limestone-head-of-a-ptolemaic-king","provider":"M.S. Rau","version":"1.0","type":"link"}