tour 3 of 14
Cleopatra of Egypt: from history to myth
Fragment of a basalt Egyptian-style statue of Ptolemy I
Founder of
Cleopatra's
dynasty
The
founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt as Ptolemy I Soter
('Saviour') with his sister-wife, Berenike I, until
his death in 283 BC. At his death he left a very prosperous
kingdom. He also founded the Museum
(Mouseion), a cultural
centre for scholars and artists, and established the famous library
at Alexandria.
The
nemes
headdress and the
uraeus
identify the subject of the statue as a ruler. The mouth has drill
holes in the corners, forcing the lips into a wide smile, an
expression characteristic of portraits of the Thirtieth Dynasty
(380-343 BC) and the early Ptolemaic period. Other characteristics
of sculpture of this period are the wide, fleshy nose, cheeks and
chin, and the large, fleshy
ears.
It is said that this
scultpure was found in the lining of a well in the Nile Delta. It
was acquired by The British Museum with a number of other objects,
but unfortunately the site was not named and it has been suggested
that the story of its discovery was fabricated to increase interest
in the piece.