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Head of King Userkaf
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Despite the monumental achievements of the Old Kingdom’s Pyramid Age, few images of its rulers survive. This head has been identified as King Userkaf, the first king of Dynasty 5. Userkaf built a modest pyramid at Saqqara and a temple to the sun god Ra at Abusir. According to later tradition, the first three kings of Dynasty 5 were the children of Ra himself and a mortal woman. From Userkaf’s reign on, the kings of Egypt were called "Sons of Ra." Here, Userkaf wears the two basic items of regalia that identify him as king: the tall, conical White Crown of Upper (southern) Egypt, and the royal false beard.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineHead of King Userkaf, c. 2454–2447 BCE. Egypt, Old Kingdom (2647–2124 BCE), Dynasty 5, reign of Userkaf (2496–2491 BCE). Painted limestone; overall: 6.5 x 7.2 cm (2 9/16 x 2 13/16 in.); face: 4.8 x 4.8 cm (1 7/8 x 1 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 1979.2
