Djutmose's bust of Nefertiti, now in Berlin's Egyptian Museum
"The King's Favourite and Master of Works, the Sculptor
Djhutmose" (also spelled
Thutmose and
Thutmosis) was apparently the court sculptor of
Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten in the latter part of his reign. A German archaeological expedition digging in the deserted city of
Amarna found a ruined house/studio complex during their
1912 campaign; the building was identified as Djhutmose's based on a item with his name and job title on it found in a rubbish pit in the building's courtyard. Since it gave his occupation as "sculptor", and the building was clearly a sculpture workshop, it seemed a logical connection.
Among many other sculptural items recovered at the same time was the famous head of Nefertiti, apparently a master study for others to copy, which was found on the floor of a storeroom.
Bibliography
- Cyril Aldred, Akhenaten: King of Egypt (Thames and Hudson, 1988), pp. 59
- Rita E. Freed, Yvonne J. Markowitz, Sue H. D'Auria, Pharaohs of the Sun: Akhenaten - Nefertiti - Tutankhamen (Museum of Fine Arts, 1999), pp. 123-126de:Thutmosis (Bildhauer)
