Royal Women Of Amarna - Reviewed by Kate Phizackerley

The Royal Amarna Women is an exhibition catalogue for an exhibition with ran at New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art from October 1996 to February 1997. It was a largely comprehensive study of the representations of the images of the Amarna royal women and in the absence of major finds subsequently, remains the definitive publication on the topic.

The only significant exclusiuon is unsurprising because many Egyptologists believe that objects in the Mansoor Collection are fake. Personally I believe a stylistic comparision of the Mansoor Collection against objects of proven provenance would have been a valuable addition and I am disappointed that a chapter was not added.

The authors contributed separate sections. James P Allen's contribution is a very short chapter on Atenism, The Religion of Amarna which is followed by a longer contribution L Green who wrote a Who's Who? of the Amarna period. This touches on the regnant kings, notably Akhenaten, but obviously the major treatment are the queens and princesses. The characters are well presented but work rather better for the mnior figures like Setepenre for whom the coverage is comprehensive. Queen Nefertiti is however covered in a single column and for her, and Meriaten, I would have preferred a much expanded treatment. Consequently the chapter is more likely to benefit those studying Amarna for the first time rather than more experienced researchers. It is also out of date in terms of the DNA findings published in February 2010 so the Elder Lady from tomb KV35 in the Valley of the Kings - the so-called KV35EL mummy.

The core of the book is two chapters by Dorothy Arnold who is often credited (incorrectly) as the sole author, but she is certainly the most significant writer. The first chapter is about the Workshop of the Sculptor Thutrmose which was of course responsible for many of the many statuettes including the famous bust of Nefertiti. The second chapter is headed Aspects of the Royal Female Image during the Amarna Period and delivers on that promise. After an introduction to our knowledge of the workshop of Thutmose, the two chapters present a series of objects which are discussed in terms of technique and style. While most of the objects are stautuettes and busts, a number of reliefs are included. Surrounding the study of objets and tapestry is worn which looks at the lives of the key figures which complements Green's brief biographies. There are excellent photographs of the objects, most in high definition colour. Unusually, the authors and publisher and recognised that multiples aspects of some objects are need to show both a frontal view and a profile.

The object based approach, and the images, is the reason I recommend the book so highly. The downside is that researching a particular royal princess requires much pages shuffling and the identity of many objects is uncertain.

The book concludes with a study of the immediate Post Amarna Period but this should be seen more as setting context than as a detailed study; however, Arnold does look at the comparison of styles of some objects dated to this period, but you should not expect consideration of items like the treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun such as the image of Ankhesenamun on the back of Tut's golden throne as these objects are omitted. That is not a criticism, but readers need to recognise that the transitional post-Amarna period when the court returned to Memphis and Thebes is treated somewhat scantilly.

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