ABSTRACT
Among the most famous images of ancient Egypt we find the colorful bust of Nefertiti, “the beautiful one has come,” discovered in the workshop of the sculptor Thutmoses at Amarna and currently on display at the Neues Museum, Berlin. It is safe to say that the image of Nefertiti has come a long way. For a long time, the beauty of her images influenced the general opinion on both her personality as well as on her function in the Egyptian empire. She was either portrayed as merely a beautiful face, or as a schemer hungry for power. The archaeological and textual information has offered a more nuanced image. Nefertiti held a very high position at the court, which is shown in the numerous depictions and symbols that confirm her status and power. The first glimpses of her status were already visible during the first years of Akhenaten at Thebes, and from that moment her star would continue to rise. This chapter describes her changing position at the court and shows that Nefertiti would eventually reach the highest possible position, that of (co-)regent of the Egyptian empire.
