Head of a Statue of a Queen or Princess as a Sphinx

This object is not part of The Met collection. It was in the Museum for a special exhibition and has been returned to the lender.

Judging from the remains of the animal’s body at the back, this spectacular head was part of a large female sphinx with the face of a queen or princess. Combining the head of a king or royal woman with the body of a lion, sphinxes seem to have functioned as guardian figures. Female sphinxes likely existed in the Old Kingdom but were more prevalent in the Middle Kingdom, perhaps reflecting changing ideas about queenship. The head has a fascinating history. Possibly found in the villa of the Roman emperor Hadrian at Tivoli, it was once in the collection of Cardinal Alessandro Albani (1692–1779), who likely commissioned the restoration of the chin, mouth, and eyes, the latter of which originally held inlays.