Art: Reserve Head

Some 45 centuries ago an Egyptian gentleman with two proud titles, Master of the Largesses of the House of Life and Director of the Black Vase, died and was buried. Like other aristocrats of his time, the Master had been a forward-looking sort. It had struck him or his heirs that vandals might break into his tomb some day, and disturb his rest by injuring the head of his mummy. Just in case, a substitute head, a stone portrait of himself, was carved and placed in his tomb as a reserve resting place for his spirit.

As explained in the current Bulletin of Manhattan’s Metropolitan Museum, such fears were more than justified. Robbers did make off with his mummy, and for good measure, or for fear of the Master’s ghost, they smashed his reserve head as well. Dug up by archaeologists in 1936, the pieces were plastered together again, finally sold to the Metropolitan. On exhibition at the museum last week, the proudly tilted head was one of the earliest examples of portrait sculpture known. The nostrils (to Egyptians the seat of life) had been carved with special care, presumably so that the Master could breathe without trouble.