Ancient Egyptian Carved Basalt Pharaoh Figure – circa 1200 BCE, New Kingdom

An ancient Egyptian carved basalt figure of a pharaoh, dating to approximately 1200 BCE — the height of the New Kingdom, one of the most celebrated periods in the history of Egyptian art and civilization. Finely sculpted from dense dark stone, the figure presents a stylized representation of a royal figure rendered in the formalized artistic conventions that defined Egyptian royal imagery for three millennia.

Despite its small scale, the sculpture conveys a commanding sense of presence. The simplified yet deliberate features — the upright posture, the composed expression, the formal frontality — are hallmarks of Egyptian royal sculpture, a tradition in which artistic convention served not merely aesthetic but theological and political purposes. The pharaoh was not simply a king but a divine intermediary between the human and cosmic realms, and even the smallest royal figure carried the full weight of that symbolic program.

Basalt in Ancient Egyptian Sculpture

Basalt was among the most prized materials in the ancient Egyptian sculptor’s repertoire. Its exceptional hardness, deep dark color, and fine grain made it ideal for works intended to endure for eternity — a central preoccupation of Egyptian religious and funerary thought. The material’s association with permanence and the primordial earth gave basalt sculptures a particular spiritual resonance. Major basalt works from the New Kingdom period are held in the collections of the British Museum, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Louvre.

The smooth, time-worn surface of this figure speaks eloquently to its age, bearing the quiet patina of more than three thousand years. Figures of this type served as votive objects, temple dedications, or symbolic representations of royal authority — objects through which the eternal power of the pharaoh was made present and permanent.

Artwork Details

Culture: Ancient Egyptian
Period: New Kingdom
Date: Circa 1200 BCE
Material: Carved basalt
Figure Height: 4 in
Overall Height (with base): 5.25 in

Provenance

Purchased from Los Robles Gallery, Palo Alto, California, circa 1965; Pebble Beach private collection.

Condition

Surface wear and minor abrasions consistent with age. Presents well overall with an intact form. Please review all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the description.