The famous painted bust discovered in 1912 depicts Nefertiti, the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten. It is one of the best-known surviving images from ancient Egypt and has become an enduring symbol of feminine beauty.
The limestone and painted-stucco bust was found on 6 December 1912 at Amarna, the ancient city of Akhenaten. A German archaeological team led by Ludwig Borchardt discovered it in the workshop of the sculptor Thutmose, alongside unfinished studies of Nefertiti. The bust is generally dated to about 1345 BC.
Its unusually naturalistic face, tall blue crown, and surviving painted colours distinguish it from many highly formal Egyptian royal portraits. The left eye is missing its quartz inlay, but this is not evidence that Nefertiti herself lost an eye; other depictions show both eyes. The bust is now held by Berlin’s Neues Museum, though its transfer from Egypt remains controversial.