The bust of Queen Tiye is located in the Egyptian museum in Berlin, Germany.
Tiy was the spouse of King Amenhotep III and mother of Akhenaten. This small portrait was probably produced in the last years of rule of her husband because the queen is shown at an advanced age. The artist produced a realistic face which captures the personality of Tiy: Intelligent, determined and assertive, all qualities which are also evident through historic-literary sources. After the death of Amenhotep III and still in the lifetime of Tiy the head was reworked, the originally head scarf of silver with the gold uraeus was covered with several layers of linen which were decorated with small faience beads. A crown consisting of a sundisc, cow horns and a pair of feathers was added separately.
This type of crown is usually worn by goddesses or deified queens. By adding this crown to the statue Akhenaton raised his mother, already in her lifetime, into the realm of a goddess.
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