Her life-sized bust rates a room of its own in the huge museum, sitting on a plinth within a 20-foot-high glass enclosure. Her discoverer, German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt, called her “the epitome of tranquility and harmony.” She was found (actually by an Egyptian workman under Borchardt’s supervision) on Dec. 6, 1912, in the ruins of Armana, 300 miles south of Cairo. She was a queen, wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, ruler of Egypt in the 14th century B.C.
In the past 100-odd years since being unearthed, Nefertiti’s bust has come to symbolize ancient Egypt — she’s everywhere souvenirs are sold there, and her image can be found in every popular book on the country. For good reason: She’s drop-dead gorgeous, from her swan-like neck, high cheekbones, come-hither smile and golden-brown skin. Even her missing left eye speaks of mystery within. Right from when the bust was first publicly exhibited in 1924 at the old Egyptian Museum of Berlin, it “created a sensation, swiftly becoming a world-renowned icon of feminine beauty and one of the most universally recognized artifacts to survive from Ancient Egypt,” according to one historian. Indeed, her name means, “the beautiful one has come.”
What records we have of Nefertiti indicate that she was as powerful as her husband Akhenaten, and after his death in 1362 B.C., she probably ruled in her own right as pharaoh. Tenth ruler of the 18th dynasty (about 1550-1292 B.C.), Akhenaten is a fascinating individual from history, in that he is believed to be the first monotheist in a world in which worship of many gods — polytheism — was the accepted norm. Perhaps in a bid to diminish the power of the bloated priesthood and their numerous gods, Akhenaten promoted the worship of just one deity, Aten, the sun (or sun-disk) god.
As a controversial aside, Aten may have been a model for the later Israelite Yahweh, (aka God). Note, for instance, similarities between Psalm 104 and Akhenaten’s Hymn to Aten, e.g. “How many are your deeds” (Aten) vs. “How manifold are your works” (Yahweh).
To solidify his belief, Akhenaten, previously known as Amenhotep IV, changed his name to mean “Effective for the Aten.” As his wife and perhaps co-ruler, Nefertiti is considered the second monotheist. It was a short-lived triumph for monotheism. Soon after his death, Akhenaten’s statues were destroyed and he was referred to as “that criminal” in archives. In his short life, his successor and Nefertiti’s stepson (or, controversially, son or half-brother) Tutankhamun — “King Tut” — restored polytheism and the priesthood regained power.
The recent history of Nefertiti’s bust is almost as dramatic. It was, um, “appropriated” from Egypt by Borchardt, idolized by Hitler (who refused to return it to Egypt, saying, “I will never relinquish the head of the queen”), hidden in a salt mine during World War II and moved from museum to museum until finding a permanent home in its present location, Berlin’s Neues Museum. Like the Elgin Marbles pilfered from Greece, Nefertiti is a symbol of Egypt’s colonial past, with European authorities refusing to return her to her own country. Nefertiti, meanwhile, appears at ease, serenely untroubled by the controversy swirling around her.
Barry Evans (he/him, barryevans9@yahoo.com, planethumboldt.substack.com) has a thing about swan necks.
This article appears in Red-Light Women, Part I.