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Berlin Green Head

Berlin Green Head is a male sculptural portrait made of grey-green grauwacke, about 21.5 cm high. Dating to around 350 BCE, it is an important work of ancient Egyptian art from the Late Period. The identity of the man depicted and the sculptor are unknown. The figure shows an adult man with a bald head, deep wrinkles around the eyes, fleshy slightly sagging cheeks, and a double chin. Its carefully polished surface and realistic features reflect the style of the period, while the near-symmetry of the face suggests a carefully constructed image rather than a portrait from life. The sculpture was donated by James Simon to the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection and is displayed in the Neues Museum.

Berlin Green Head stone sculpture with a bald head, carved wrinkles, and a broken nose on a stand.
The Berlin Green Head displayed on a stand at the Altes Museum in Berlin.
November 2006 © Keith Schengili-Roberts · CC BY-SA 3.0
Berlin Green Head sculpture of a bald face with closed eyes and a damaged nose.
The Berlin Green Head shown in half-profile, with a smooth dark green surface and a damaged nose.
February 2015 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Berlin Green Head, a dark greenish-grey stone head with a damaged nose and broken neck.
The Berlin Green Head shows a bald stone head with a serious expression and visible damage to the nose and neck.
March 2014 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Berlin Green Head, a damaged greenish-brown stone bust with a missing nose and stern expression.
The Berlin Green Head, shown as a damaged stone bust with a stern face and missing nose.
August 2016 © · CC0
Berlin Green Head shown in right-side profile, a dark greenish-gray stone head with a worn nose and serious expression.
Berlin Green Head in side profile, showing the weathered stone carving of an Egyptian priest.
July 2019 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleBerlin Green Head
Original-language nameБерлінська зелена голова
Original titleLa Tête verte de Berlin
Original-language titleLa cabeza verde de Berlín
TypeMale sculptural portrait; head sculpture
Inventory numberAeMP 12500
Original language titleBerlinskaya zelyonaya golova

Historical context

DatingApproximately 350 BC; later proposed more specifically as 100–50 BCE by Bernard von Bothmer (1960)
Earlier attributionOnce regarded as Saite period art; later attributed to the Ptolemaic period by Friedrich Wilhelm von Bissing
Dating methodDated on stylistic grounds only, because the object is uninscribed
Historical contextThe dynasty began by expelling the Persians from Egypt and conquering Judea during the decline of the Persian Empire
Dynasty originSebennytos
Dynasty dates378–341 BC
DynastyEgyptian Dynasty XXX
PeriodLate Period of Egypt
CultureAncient Egypt

Creator

ArtistUnknown
AttributionConsidered the work of a highly skilled ancient Egyptian sculptor, whose identity is unknown

Discovery and provenance

ProvenanceUnknown before 1895
Acquisition date1895
Acquisition sourceFrom the collections of Prince Ibrahim Hilmy and Henry Wallis
DonorJames Simon
DonationPresented as a gift to the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection

Physical characteristics

ShapeOval head
ConditionBald or shaved head
Support elementThe upper part of a conventional back pillar is visible behind the head
ColorGrey-green
Height21.5 cm
MaterialGrey-green grauwacke (also described as green schist, greenschist, slate, or green stone; possibly Bekhen stone)

Appearance

SubjectAn adult, middle-aged man
HairBald or shaved
Facial featuresDistinctive skull structure, deep wrinkles around the eyes and bridge of the nose, fleshy slightly sagging cheeks, and a double chin
ExpressionCalm, emotionless, gloomy, and stern
SymmetryAlmost perfectly symmetrical
RealismHighly realistic
Surface treatmentCarefully polished surface
StyleTypical of Late Period sculpture

Iconography and meaning

Construction of faceThe sculptor appears to have constructed the face rather than modeled it from a live subject
Wrinkle treatmentWrinkles were systematically conceived and rendered with precision
InfluenceShows influence of ancient Greek art
Possible identificationMay have been a priest
InterpretationThe facial features differ from ancient Egyptian beauty ideals, giving the portrait individuality

Location and ownership

Current locationNeues Museum, Berlin
CollectionEgyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection
Display locationRoom 1.09, one floor below the Nefertiti Bust
Display statusOn display
Owner's name and titlesUnknown

History and restoration

VerismReduced compared with the Boston Green Head
AsymmetryLess prominent than in the Boston Green Head
InscriptionUninscribed
Comparison with Boston Green HeadThe Berlin Green Head has lost veristic features, including asymmetry, that are more prominent in the Boston Green Head, while still retaining characterization of the individual represented
Comparative objectCompared with the earlier Boston Green Head

Significance

Art historical significanceOne of the most famous and important works of ancient Egyptian art, and one of the best-known works of the Late and Ptolemaic periods
Comparison with other famous worksOften mentioned together with the bust of Nefertiti and the funerary mask of Tutankhamun
Alternative interpretation of realismEarlier viewers thought such anatomical realism would have required knowledge of Greek anatomy, but this was later rejected by comparison with earlier Egyptian works

Other

Image views listedFront face; right profile; left profile; reconstructed image; same image without retouching