Bowers Museum and American Research Center in Egypt OC (ARCE OC) present an exclusive pre-recorded lecture, The Beautiful One Returns: Nefertiti and the Altered Identities of an Icon, with Dr. Nicholas Brown, PhD Student in Egyptology, UCLA.

The bust of Nefertiti is, arguably, one of the most iconic and recognizable artifacts from the ancient world. Since her discovery in 1912, and public display in 1923, the use of Nefertiti as a symbol of German imperial power, dominance, and “care for the past” has turned her into an icon and symbol.  Requests by the Egyptian government for her return to Egypt have proved unsuccessful to this day.

This research explores the different ways in which modern day Egyptians constructed and represented ancient Egyptian history in order to influence social and political movements within the last decade, all through the lens of the Nefertiti bust. The underlying goal of this presentation is to illustrate the ways in which ancient Egyptian art, artifacts, and history can function within modern contexts.