Ring with Cartouche of Akhenaten

Possible OriginAmarna, Egypt, Africa

CultureEgyptian

PeriodNew Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten

Date1353-1336 BCE

MediumBronze

Credit LineGift of the Georges Ricard Foundation

Dimensions1 x 7/8 x 1/2 in., 10 g (2.5 x 2.3 x 1.3 cm, 3/8 oz.)

Object number2018.010.1085

Label TextEgyptians began to cast rings in solid metal at the beginning of the New Kingdom. The stirrup ring, with its flat bezel, was decorated with royal figures, deities, and cartouches.

This ring bears the prenomen, Neferkheperure, and the epithet, Waenre. Together, they spell Akhenaten’s throne name “Beautiful are the Forms of Re, the Unique One of Re.” Although Akhenaten eventually changed the five-fold titulary, he retained this prenomen throughout his reign. Officials used rings of this type to seal official documents on behalf of the king. The wear on the ring indicates frequent use.
Exhibition HistoryLife and the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Art from the Senusret Collection, Michael C. Carlos Museum, February 4 - August 6, 2023
Published ReferencesMelinda K. Hartwig, ed. Life and the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Art from the Senusret Collection (Atlanta: Michael C. Carlos Museum, 2023), catalogue entry 9.

ProvenancePurchased by Georges Ricard (1921-2012) from Roger Fernand Galliano, Paris, France, June 5, 1974. Ex coll. Musée de l'Égypte et le Monde Antique, Collection Sanousrit, Monaco, 1975-1982. Ex coll. Georges Ricard Foundation, Santa Barbara, California.

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