Masterpieces of Oriental Art. 6

Extract

This small head is one of the world's supreme masterpieces, A exhibiting all the qualities of the greatest sculpture.

The face is wistful. A faint smile plays almost imperceptibly round the curves of the mouth, the nostrils, and the languid eyes. So sensitive is the modelling that the very flesh appears to vibrate under the skin, and the eyes seem liquid and alive. The technique is detailed enough to bring out the profound individuality of the Egyptian queen, but it does not mar the bland unity of the whole, planes flowing one into another with unbroken continuity.