Head of Ptolemy II

Description In 332 BCE, Alexander the Great freed Egypt from Persian control and made it part of his growing empire. One of his generals, Ptolemy Lagus, was sent to Egypt to serve as governor after Alexander's sudden death in 323 BCE. Ptolemy eventually crowned himself king and founded the Ptolemaic Dynasty. One of the early rulers of this Dynasty is represented in this elegant, life-size head. The Ptolemaic rulers were sensitive to the political needs of their diverse subjects. Therefore, royal portraiture is mainly of two types, one in strictly Egyptian style, like this head, and the other purely Greek.

Conservation

Date	Description	Narrative
7/14/1967	Treatment	cleaned
10/20/1998	Examination	survey
9/23/1999	Treatment	technical study; cleaned

Exhibitions

• Chefs-d'oeuvre des derniers pharaons. Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris. 2012.

Provenance Dikran Kelekian, New York and Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1924, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters, 1924