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Primary sourceSculpturec. 1352-1336 BCE

Relief of Nefertiti Kissing One of Her Daughters

c. 1352-1336 BCE

A painted limestone relief showing Nefertiti kissing one of her daughters, an example of the intimate family imagery typical of Amarna art.

Shows Nefertiti in an affectionate family moment, kissing one of her daughters.

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Painted limestone relief in a museum setting. On the left, a figure with a blue-and-white patterned wig and face in profile; in the center, a smaller figure with a large cone-shaped head and a child's profile, with an ankh sign and hieroglyphs on the right. Warm, tan stone with red and blue pigment traces.
Relief of Queen Nefertiti Kissing One of Her Daughters, c. 1352-1336 BCE. Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund.

About this source

What it is

This is a photograph of a painted limestone relief, dated around 1352-1336 BCE, showing Queen Nefertiti, identified by her distinctive patterned wig, kissing one of her daughters, who is shown with the large cone-shaped head typical of royal children in Amarna art. The relief is held by the Brooklyn Museum.

Why it matters

Artworks like this are notable because Amarna-period art, created during Akhenaten and Nefertiti's rule, often showed the royal family in tender, informal moments rather than the rigid formal poses of earlier Egyptian art. This piece shows Nefertiti as a mother, giving historians insight into how the royal family wanted to present itself and the values of closeness and affection promoted at the time.

Look closer

  • What makes this image feel more personal than typical formal Egyptian art?
  • Why might the artist have chosen to show this moment of affection rather than a ceremonial scene?
  • What traces of the original paint can you still see, and what do they tell you about the relief's history?

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Bust of Queen Nefertiti

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Figure of Nefertiti

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

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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

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