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Primary sourceSculpturec. 1353-1336 BCE

Talatat Showing Nefertiti with a Princess

c. 1353-1336 BCE

A carved limestone block from early Karnak temples showing Nefertiti with one of her daughters, reflecting her prominence in royal art.

Shows Nefertiti with a daughter, part of a set where she appears more often than the king himself.

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Photograph of a rectangular limestone block carved in low relief with figures in profile, shown against a grey background with a measurement scale bar at right. The stone is weathered and has a rough, pale surface.
Limestone talatat showing Nefertiti with a princess, c. 1353-1336 BCE. Museo Egizio, Turin.

About this source

What it is

This is a limestone talatat block, a small standardized stone used in building temples during the Eighteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt, dated to around 1353-1336 BCE. It is carved in low relief and shows Queen Nefertiti, likely with a princess. It is held today by the Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy.

Why it matters

Talatat blocks like this came from temples built early in Akhenaten's reign at Karnak, dedicated to the sun god Aten. Curators note that in these temples, Nefertiti appears more often than the king himself, suggesting she held an unusually prominent religious and political role for a queen of her time.

Look closer

  • What does the frequent appearance of Nefertiti rather than the king suggest about her status?
  • Why might this block be weathered, and what does that tell us about its long history?
  • What would you want to know about how this block was originally used in a temple?

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