31/10/2025
Detail of a painted limestone relief depicting Lady Wadjkaues, the wife of a provincial governor.
She lived some time during the reign of King Senwosret I (circa 1961-1917 BCE) of the 12th Dynasty.
Seated straight as a fence post on a simple chair, she exudes composure.
Slender in the middle, flat in the belly, and shaped just right where nature meant her to be, she's a sight to take in.
Her striated wig is parted in the middle, its long tresses dividing over her shoulders.
Her long sheath dress clings to her body like a second skin, its straight strap reaching over the left shoulder.
She holds a blue lotus blossom in her left hand, the flower Egyptians associated with rebirth.
She looks halfway eternal already.
This relief (1972.984) is now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA.
Photo (edited for size): The Museum of Fine Arts
