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Primary sourceSculpture

Figure of Nefertiti

A black-and-white photograph of a painted bust depicting Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaten, showing her distinctive tall crown.

This figure depicts Nefertiti and shows how her distinctive crown became a lasting symbol of her royal identity.

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Black-and-white photograph of a painted bust of a woman with a tall flat-topped crown, side-facing, on a dark rectangular pedestal set on a pale plinth. The collar has striped and patterned bands.
Figure of Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaten. Wellcome Collection, London.

About this source

What it is

This is a photograph of a museum object identified as a figure of Nefertiti, the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten. It is held by the Wellcome Collection in London.

Why it matters

Images like this have shaped how later generations imagine Nefertiti, one of the most recognisable royal women of ancient Egypt. Her image, especially her tall flat-topped crown, became closely linked to her identity and status as queen.

Look closer

  • What details in the crown and collar suggest this figure is royal?
  • Why might this object have been photographed and kept in a museum collection?
  • What information is missing from the record that would help us know more about when and where this was made?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Queen Nefereti on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Painted limestone bust of an Egyptian queen wearing a tall blue crown with a red and green band and a gold-colored brow band. The eyes are inlaid with dark outlines, and the bust rests on a dark base against a black background.Sculpture

Primary source

Bust of Queen Nefertiti

Thutmose · c. 1345 BC

Close-up detail of an Amarna limestone relief. A seated woman wearing a tall flat-topped crown is at right, with a sun disc and rays above. At left, a smaller figure with a child's head is seated near her, and carved hieroglyphs fill the background.Sculpture

Primary source

Akhenaten and His Family

c. 1352 BC

Photo of a curved, blue glazed ceramic fragment with white body edge, covered in raised concentric ring motifs with dots. Two holes pierce the piece near its center, with a scale bar along the bottom.Sculpture

Primary source

Relief Fragment Showing the Blue Crown of Nefertiti

Black-and-white line drawing of columns of Egyptian hieroglyphic text arranged in vertical lines, with cartouches visible, copied from a wall inscription. This is a facsimile of the Great Hymn to the Aten.Document

Primary source

Great Hymn to the Aten

Akhenaten · c. 1350 BC

Photo of a pale sandstone relief plaque showing two profile heads facing each other: an Egyptian ruler with a tall crown on the left and a figure with a headdress on the right. Both have carved eyes, ears, and chins. Mounted on a gray background with small white supports.Sculpture

Primary source

Wilbour Plaque

c. 1352-1336 BC

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