egypt-museum:

Bust of King Ramesses II

This bust comes from a seated statue of Ramesses II. He is portrayed with a short wig held in place by a band with a uraeus, the royal cobra.

The king is depicted as a young man with a full face, jutting eyebrows, rather narrow eyes, and a calm smile. The corners of the lips are slightly raised. The king wears a wide necklace made of many strings of pearls. He is wearing a pleated garment with long, wide sleeves.

What remains of his left arm lies by his body while his right arm is folded across his chest gripping the scepter Heka, the symbol of sovereignty. The pharaoh’s wrist is adorned with a bracelet decorated with the Eye of Horus, the wadjet, symbol of good health and divine perfection. Some details of the statue, such as the pleated garment and the short wig, were fashionable at that time.

New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, reign of Ramesses II, ca. 1279-1213 BC. Black granite, from Tanis. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 37485