An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Trial Piece Worked on Both Sidesc. 1391–1353 BCE
This carved flake of limestone provides a fascinating glimpse of the ancient artist at work. One side, by far the better, features four studies of heads. At the upper left is an Asiatic. He has a low forehead, a prominent nose, and a long, pointed beard. To his right is a Nubian wearing the short, round headdress and large loop earring that the Egyptians usually identified with this ethnic group. The bottom row presents images from within Egypt. At the left is a stock image of a king. To his right is another Egyptian, whose clean-shaven head immediately identifies him as a priest. The rather routine, basic subjects of the other side show a far lower level of accomplishment. The sole details of any skill are the incomplete head of the god Bes at the bottom center and the human ear at the left edge. The simple neb-signs (baskets) are poorly executed, and the drawing of the hand is embarrassingly bad. At the lower right is a thickly banded human eye. Above that is the fair head of a princess wearing a short wig, wide headband, and thick sidelock. At the upper left are the beginnings (or the remains) of the bewigged head of a courtier, the face mostly obliterated.
Trial pieces were a necessity of this busy building period because new styles were continually introduced and rapid training of apprentices was needed.
limestone
Overall: 34.4 x 24 x 7 cm (13 9/16 x 9 7/16 x 2 3/4 in.)
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
In the dim light of an ancient workshop, a beautifully carved flake of limestone whispers tales from a time long past. Here, in its weathered surface, lies not just stone, but the essence of an artist’s journey, a window into the souls that once walked the sun-kissed sands of history.
On one side of this delicate masterpiece, the artist’s true brilliance shines through. In this sculptor’s gallery, four studies of human heads emerge, each etched with the intention of capturing life itself. At the upper left, an Asiatic figure commands attention. His low forehead hints at a contemplative mind, while a prominent nose and a long, pointed beard add a profound depth to his character. Beside him, a Nubian figure dons the short, round headdress paired with a large loop earring—iconic markers of his heritage, forever immortalized in stone by the ancient hands that shaped him.
Then, on the bottom row, the faces shift, reflecting the heart of Egypt itself. To the left, a grand image of a king stands regally, embodying authority. Next to him, a clean-shaven priest looks out with wise, serene eyes, distinguishing himself by his bare head—each figure tells a story of power, faith, and identity.
But turn the flake around, and the narrative changes. Here, the artistry falters; the skills of the ancient artist seem to waver, leading to more routine representations. The once confident strokes transform into incomplete forms. At the bottom center, only the head of the god Bes remains sketchy and uncared for, while a single human ear looms awkwardly at the left edge, desperate for attention.
The simple neb-signs, baskets meant to symbolize life and sustenance, lay clumsily drawn, as if the artist stumbled while conveying the essence of everyday existence. A human eye appears, thickly banded and oddly prominent—striking but lacking the finesse seen in the other portraits. Above this, the serene face of a princess emerges, her short wig and broad headband hinting at her nobility, while a thick sidelock dangles elegantly, connecting her to a legacy of elegance.
Amidst this collection, the upper left bears the remnants of what seems like a courtier; yet so much of his visage is lost, as if history itself had decided to erase him. Here, in this dichotomy of skill, the flake reveals not just artistry but also the passage of time: a reflection on what survives in memory and what fades away into obscurity.
This limestone fragment encapsulates an artist's aspirations, frustrations, and the journey through creativity—a testament to the human experience, speaking to us across millennia. What remains is not simply stone, but a profound meditation on the act of creation itself.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
The best place to view Cleveland Museum of Art‘s artwork is on Galleree. Hear the story behind this work, interact with the image, discuss with people, curate your own playlists, and discover so much more from great artists and institutions alike.