King with a Stubbled Beard
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, ca. 1280 B.C.
From Western Thebes
Now in the Walters Art Museum. 32.1
▫ A stubbled faced king is a rather peculiar sight in Ancient Egyptian art. Historians suggest the beard is a sign of mourning, growing out a beard is still common practices for mourning in varied cultures around the world until this very day.
French Egyptologist Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt demonstrated that the growth of the natural beard was reserved for times of mourning, specifically between the death of a person and funeral. On the day of the funeral ceremony, it is thought all male attendees shaved, and the official “time of mourning” was concluded.
Based upon the features, it is generally agreed the 19th Dynasty king depicted is Seti I.