Trial Piece Worked on Both Sides

This carved flake of limestone provides a fascinating glimpse of the ancient artist at work. One side, by far the better, features four studies of heads. At the upper left is an Asiatic. He has a low forehead, a prominent nose, and a long, pointed beard. To his right is a Nubian wearing the short, round headdress and large loop earring that the Egyptians usually identified with this ethnic group. The bottom row presents images from within Egypt. At the left is a stock image of a king. To his right is another Egyptian, whose clean-shaven head immediately identifies him as a priest. The rather routine, basic subjects of the other side show a far lower level of accomplishment. The sole details of any skill are the incomplete head of the god Bes at the bottom center and the human ear at the left edge.