Bust of a woman as Isis, possibly the Adoratrice Shepenwepet II
Bust of a woman as Isis, possibly the Adoratrice Shepenwepet II
Bust of a woman as Isis, possibly the Adoratrice Shepenwepet II
Bust of a woman as Isis, possibly the Adoratrice Shepenwepet II
Bust of a woman as Isis, possibly the Adoratrice Shepenwepet II
Bust of a woman as Isis, possibly the Adoratrice Shepenwepet II
Bust of a woman as Isis, possibly the Adoratrice Shepenwepet II
Bust of a woman as Isis, possibly the Adoratrice Shepenwepet II
Bust of a woman as Isis, possibly the Adoratrice Shepenwepet II
Bust of a woman as Isis, possibly the Adoratrice Shepenwepet II

On view

African Art

Bust of a woman as Isis, possibly the Adoratrice Shepenwepet II,

ca. 700-650 BCE

Egyptian
Late Period, 712–332 BCE | 25th Dynasty
2013-45

This bust portrays a woman, possibly the high priestess Shepenwepet II. Styling herself in the guise of a goddess such as Isis or Hathor, who were related in their association with motherhood and fertility, the figure attests to the indispensable role of women in Nubian society around the time of the 25th Dynasty. Yet the ongoing physical displacement of Nubian people and their cultural artifacts from present-day Egypt and Sudan continues to distort our understanding of Nubia, of its expansive date palm fields, shifting sand dunes, and the flourishing fava bean crops of Dongola, Sudan. The narratives that sustain Nubia, via oral traditions passed down through generations—mothers, sisters, unborn daughters—show that the healing wisdom and vast knowledge of Nubian women endure, though they risk fading someplace beyond our memories, and are a vital part of our collective heritage.

Rahma Elsheikh, Class of 2025

Information

Title
Bust of a woman as Isis, possibly the Adoratrice Shepenwepet II
Dates

ca. 700-650 BCE

Medium
Magnesite
Dimensions
h. 26 cm (10 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund and the Carl Otto von Kienbusch Jr. Memorial Collection Fund
Object Number
2013-45
Culture
Egyptian (ancient)
Period
Twenty-fifth Dynasty
Type
sculpture, fragments
Materials
magnesite
Subject
goddesses, busts, iconography, women, wigs

With the Joseph Brummer Gallery, New York, NY, by 1945; 1945 - 1946 with A. Conger Goodyear, Buffalo, NY; from 1946 - 2007with the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY; 2007 - 2009 with Phoenix Ancient Art, NY; purchased by an anonymous owner in 2009; back with Phoenix Ancient Art by 2013; purchased by the Museum in 2013.

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