A Published Amarna Sandstone Relief Fragment Depicting Merit-Aten Holding a Sistrum, Amarna Period, ca. 1379 – 1362 BCE,

This sandstone relief fragment portrays Merit-Aten, eldest daughter of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, and later Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Semenkhkara, her brother.  The princess is delicately rendered in profile, wearing the side-lock of youth and displaying the distinctive elongated facial proportions characteristic of Amarna art. She raises a sistrum, the sacred rattle-like instrument traditionally played by women in temple rituals dedicated to Hathor and other deities, here appropriated to the royal cult of the Aten.  The carving preserves crisp facial contours and elegant linear modeling typical of court ateliers of the period.  

Princesses are frequently depicted participating in ritual and courtly scenes during the Amarna era, often with musical instruments, reinforcing the centrality of the royal family in Aten worship. The subject’s youthful sidelock, attenuated features, and intimate devotional gesture are hallmarks of Amarna art. The presence of the sistrum emphasizes female participation in temple ritual and the reoriented devotional focus of the Akhenaten court. The treatment of the eye, lips, and jawline, as well as the delicate contouring of the cheek, aligns with workshop practices documented on reliefs associated with Hermopolis.

The association of the subject with Merit-Aten is supported by stylistic parallels to reliefs from Hermopolis. For comparanda, see G. Roeder, Amarna Reliefs from Hermopolis (1969, Hildesheim), plate A; the relief in the Brooklyn Museum, inv. no. 60.197.6; and J. D. Cooney, “Amarna Reliefs from Hermopolis” in American Collections.

Published:  Charles Ede, "Antiquities" Catalog 107, (1977) object #15

Medium:  Sandstone

Dimensions:  Width: 12 inches (30.5 cm), Height: 6 inches (15.24 cm)

Condition:  Fragment from a larger piece as described, the relief is in very good condition, with a small area of restoration around the mouth.  There are traces of the original red, blue, and yellow polychrome remaining.  The relief has been custom-mounted on a wood mount, with Ede's collection sticker on the base, reading "4703 / Egypt / Amarna Period."

Provenance:  Thilo and Izora Steinschulte private collection, VA, acquired in 1977 from Charles Ede, Ltd., London, (#E4703), then by descent. Accompanied by a copy of the original collector's paperwork and dealer invoice.