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Nefertiti

Nefertiti

THE ORIGINAL BUST OF NEFERTITI, FROM THE REAL SCULPTOR TUTMOSE, CURRENTLY LOCATED IN THE NEUES MUSEUM IN BERLIN, IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST EXCEPTIONAL WORKS OF EGYPTIAN ART

Year: 2019

Work

SKEL and the Egyptian Museum of Berlin have collaborated in the creation of this work in homage to one of the icons of ancient classical beauty. The harmony and symmetry of its features, the long and slender neck, the perfection of the nose and her expressiveness characterize Nefertiti’s bronze sculpture, made employing lost-wax casting. The unique artwork is a limited edition consisting of six series of 998 copies each.

The original bust of Nefertiti, by the royal sculptor Tutmose, now in the Neues Museum in Berlin, is considered one of the most exceptional works of Egyptian art and an international symbol of beauty. Since its discovery in 1912, during an archaeological excavation in the sculptor's former workshop in El-Amarna, the bust of the Great Royal Wife of Akhenaton has astonished and captivated anyone who beholds it for its symmetry, harmony, beauty and perfection.

This unique and unrepeatable piece by SKEL is a bronze sculpture made using the technique of lost-wax casting, a complex process due to the great variety of steps followed and the specialized craftsmen who intervene in its making.

 

Each bust of Nefertiti, at the back, bears the queen's name, an Egyptian city and its serial number. The Notarial Deed certifies the quality of all the pieces, their individual crafting and numbering by hand. The sculpture stands on a travertine marble base.

The sculpture is accompanied by the book ‘Pharaohs and Queens: the dawn of the egyptian art’, a large-format volume that, in addition to containing an exhaustive analysis of Nefertiti and one of the most admired civilizations of antiquity, displays a series of spectacular photographs, straight from experts in the field, of the great architectural works, royal sculptures, and polychrome paintings of ancient Egypt.

The book and the sculpture are presented in a black case displaying the image of Nefertiti. Its elegant and practical design serves to protect and store the entire high-end piece.

The production process

The artisan creates a full-size sculpture in modelling clay, which makes a more detailed profile of the figure possible.  

A silicone-lined negative mould of the original is created and reinforced on its outer surface with plaster. This is covered with melted wax.  

The two halves of the mould are sealed by hand and filled with more melted wax to create an exact wax replica of the original.   

The resulting wax sculpture is worked by hand to remove any leftovers from the moulding process, smooth out the details, and create a flawless reproduction. 

rThe piece is dipped into a ceramic bath and coated with a heat-resistant powder to withstand the extreme temperatures at which the metal melts.  

Molten bronze (1,200°C) is poured into what is now a ceramic mould. It is during this process that the wax melts and is "lost".  

After several hours of waiting to make sure that the piece has cooled, the moulds are carefully removed to unveil the bronze pieces. 

The artisan hand-polishes each piece individually to ensure flawless perfection. Any flaws mean the figure is rejected.  

A patina is applied to emphasise the most characteristic details of the face of the Nefertiti Bust.  

Before attaching the piece to a base, the Queen's name, the series and the limited-edition number are engraved by hand on the back. 

Each figure is attached using special glue to a travertine marble plinth for an impeccably elegant finish.  

All sculptures are individually crafted by skilled artisans and smelters. The final result is a unique and unrepeatable work. 

Technical specifications

    Case
  • Measurements: 51 x 41 x 32.5 cm approx.
  • Interior of high density porexpan in grey.
  • Moulded-foam interior for the sculpture and external nook for the book.
  • Contains the volume ‘Pharaohs and Queens: the dawn of the egyptian art’, the Sculpture of Nefertiti, and the corresponding Notarial Deed.
    Sculpture of Nefertiti
  • Bronze sculpture made with lost-wax casting.
  • Patina finish.
  • Hand numbering of six series from 1 to 998 each.
  • Travertine marble base.
  • Weight including base: Approx. 9.21 kg
  • Measurements: 30 x 14.5 x 20 cm (sculpture); 4 x 22.6 x 22.6 cm (base).
    Book- Pharaohs and Queens: the dawn of egyptian art
  • Dimensions: 38 x 28 cm
  • 192 pages.
  • 5-colour print work.
  • Coated Art Gallery Gloss Paper 170 g.
  • Lining in 150 g matte plastic-coated fine paper.
  • Binding: 3 mm hard cover, lined and laminated.
  • Flat back stitched with Brilliant black setalux silk-screened fabric.