Bulletin du Musée National de Varsovie (42.2001)

Also the modelling of the braided beard can serve as a dating criterion. In
sculptures from the times of the first kings of the 26th Dynasty - Psamtek I or
Necho II - it covers nearly the entire chin whereas in those from the times of
Psamtek II it covers only the point of the chin,27 just as it is the case with the
Warsaw sculpture. Depictions of Osiris with the smaller beard attached
slightly below the chin like that from the Psamtek tomb should be dated for
the times of Amasis or later.28

In consecutive phases of the development of Saite sculpture certain stylistic
changes can be detected in the modelling of the face, which correspond to the
rules of successive kings. In this particular period certain stylistic links are
apparent between the new artistic tendencies expressed mainly in the
depictions of the king and the morę traditional representations of private
individuals and the images of gods. It consists in formal similarity, clearly
visible mostly in the sculptures madę by the artists working for the ruler and
his court rather than in physiognomic resemblance. Undoubtedly, the
renouncement of the traditional, slightly ornamental elaboration of facial
features in favour of morę realistic anatomie depictions was the artistic
novelty of that time. The evidence of such change is found in the modelling
accentuating the bonę structure of the cheeks and the muscle pattern around
the mouth. This type of modelling is present in the discussed head of Osiris as
well as in the reference sculptures.

Eye shape is a prominent feature which allows for a morę precise dating. The
almond shape and slightly lifted outside corners of the eyes in the Warsaw
sculpture show a marked resemblance to those of Psamtek II as depicted on
the image stored in Musee Jacąuemart Andre.29 Also the royal sculpture in
Museo Civico di Bologna attributed to Psamtek II or Apries has similar eyes.30
This is also true for other images which are believed to show Apries and share
the same eye pattern.31 Meanwhile, in the sculptures rendering his successor
Amasis, the eyes are slanting and constitute a distinguishing feature of
depictions of this ruler.32 Thus, the eyes of Psamtek II and Apries figures
appear the closest reference. Meanwhile, the eyes of the Warsaw Osiris differ
from the latter as they are outlined by cosmetic lines. This type of outlining,
with a wide linę stretching towards the temples was traditionally reserved for
the depictions of gods and not a single royal head with such eyeworking has

27 ESLP, p. 55.

28 H. De Meulenaere, B.V Bothmer, “Une tete d’Osiris au Musee du Louvre”, Kemi, XIX, 1969,
p. 14.

29 Inv. no. 438, J.A. Josephson, “Royal Sculpture of the Later XXVTh Dynasty”, Mitteilungen
des Deutschen Archdologischen Instituts Kairo, 48, p. 94, ill. 16.

30 Inv. no. 1801; Muller, “Ein Kónigsbildnis...”, op. cit., p. 46ff; E. Bresciani, La collezione
egizia nel Museo Cwico di Bologna, Ravenna 1975, pp. 66-67, ill. 42.

31 Musee du Louvre, inv. no. E. 3433; Egyptian Museum in Cairo, inv. nos JE 9000, JE 40052;
Josephson, “Royal...” op. cit., pp. 94-96, ill. 16-18.

32 J.A. Josephson, “An Altered Royal Head of the 26th Dynasty”, Journal of Egyptian Arcbae-
ology, 74, 1988, pp. 232-235, pl. XXXII.

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