Queen Nefertiti – Leadership and Influence in Branding

After the discovery of Nefertiti’s bust in 1912, her image has become one of the most recognized images from ancient Egypt. Since then, artists continue to use her likeness as an emblematic representation of femininity.

LaKela Brown created her 2018 work, “Repatriation”, by attaching a plaster rendition of Queen Victoria’s signature crown to “doorknocker” earrings–a popular style among African Americans. The piece serves as a symbolic act of repatriation.

1. She was a strong leader

If you have ever seen pictures of Queen Nefertiti, chances are you were struck by her exquisite beauty. Nefertiti utilized this powerful asset as she rose from humble roots to become one of Egypt’s most influential leaders and inspire modern women with her strength and charisma. Today she continues to inspire millions around the globe who embody her grace.

Nefertiti became an influential figure during Akhenaten’s 14th-century BCE reforms that ultimately recentered worship around a single sun god known as Aten. Although its uncertain what Nefertiti’s role was, scholars agree she was certainly influential as her husband led these reforms to transformational effect.

While much concrete historical information about her is lost to us today, her images and texts provide the basis for various interpretations, leading to much fascination from scholars and artists throughout her lifetime. Rainer Maria Rilke wrote extensively about her while images from Berlin’s Neues Museum inspired Expressionist sculptors such as Else Lasker-Schuler and Franz Xaver Winterhalter to create their sculptures depicting her.

As far as is known about Nefertiti’s early life is concerned, she had at least six daughters with her first husband – two of which became queens themselves! Nefertiti was known to embrace her role as royal wife with grace and dignity.

Akhenaton was believed to be descended from Tiy, Akhenaton’s mother’s brother Ay, an influential high priest based out of Mitanni (present-day Syria). Her ancestry remains unclear, however; speculation and conjecture still swirl about. One theory suggests she could have come from Syria itself.

2. She was a visionary

Nefertiti was an influential woman and visionary leader of ancient Egypt, using her position to change culture and religion. Additionally, she helped Akhenaton create Aten as his new religion and is widely considered one of the greatest female leaders ever.

Nefertiti was known for both her great power and love of family; she gave birth to six daughters with Akhenaton before they lived a happy life together until, suddenly, during Akhenaton’s twelfth year as ruler, she vanished into history; scholars still do not understand why this happened today.

Although there may be various theories as to what happened to Nefertiti, one thing remains certain – she was an elegant and powerful queen who did much for Egyptian culture. She has become an icon of beauty for generations of people around the world. One of her busts has even become one of the most renowned archaeological finds ever discovered and now sits proudly in a Berlin museum.

Nefertiti was catapulted to fame upon her discovery in the 1920s, becoming one of the most iconic figures in history. Her image enthralled audiences worldwide and inspired artists worldwide to pay homage to her. This resurgence in interest came shortly after Tutankhamun’s tomb was unearthed as well as during an artistic movement called Art Deco that took inspiration from Egyptian decorative schemes.

Rainer Maria Rilke and Else Lasker-Schuler were two 20th century literary and visual artists who immortalised Nefertiti in their works, drawing from images available at Berlin’s Agyptisches Museum. Thomas Mann described Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten’s co-regency with Nefertiti as part of Joseph and His Brothers tetralogy.

Nefertiti is still captivating contemporary artists today, inspiring many with her iconic figure as a cultural emblem connecting ancient Egypt to our modern lives, prompting discussions on gender, race and colonial entitlement issues. For instance, Detroit-based artist LaKela Brown’s 2018 piece entitled Composition of Doorknocker Earrings with Pharaoh Heads and Nefertiti Recesses brings LaKela into African American material culture; she uses a plaster slab with imprints of archetypal Egyptian Pharaoh heads alongside fossil impressions of Nefertiti bust along with “doorknocker” earrings which are common accessories among urban African American women.

3. She was a visionary leader

Queen Nefertiti was one of the most iconic royal wives of ancient Egypt, revered for both her beauty and leadership skills. Together with her husband Akhenaton (commonly known as Amenhotep IV), they left an immeasurable mark on Kemet Egypt during their brief yet lasting rule.

Nefertiti’s early life remains unknown, though scholars speculate she was likely born to a wealthy courtier from Mitanni. Though she did not come from royal blood herself, Nefertiti married an heretic pharaoh who helped implement a religion without polytheism in Egypt.

Her likeness has long inspired artists, writers, and musicians. When her bust was discovered during the 19th century it triggered a wave of Western European fashion that saw fashionable women slick back their hair and wear jewelled scarab brooches; furthermore it reignited interest in Egyptian art and architecture which in turn had an influence on everything from Art Deco style fashion trends to highly stylized forms imitating Egyptian art forms.

Nefertiti’s portraits that we see today date from Akhenaton and his courtiers’ efforts during the Amarna period to alter traditional styles in their depictions of men and women. Their new representations were less idealized and more realistic, reflecting features more commonly found among people from Amarna than what had previously been drawn – exaggerated body features which obscured facial details were highlighted more than facial ones were highlighted before this change was implemented.

Modern artists continue to use Queen Nefertiti as an emblematic representation of both female empowerment and power. She serves as an emblem for female-forward feminism alongside figures like Hatshepsut and Cleopatra, both who navigated their cultures successfully through religious reform and foreign policy issues.

LaKela Brown of Detroit brings Queen Nefertiti back into African-American material culture through her 2018 work “Composition of Doorknocker Earrings with Pharaoh Heads and Nefertiti Recesses.” Brown uses an intricate plaster slab that features impressions of an Egyptian pharaoh as well as fossil-like depictions of Nefertiti’s bust alongside “doorknocker earrings”, an essential staple in urban fashion for African-Americans, to reposition her as a powerful icon for black diaspora communities worldwide.

4. She was a visionary leader

Queen Nefertiti was an extraordinary leader and force for change during her era, serving as both leader and force for transformation. Her beauty, royal wife status and contributions to society cemented her position amongst history’s most powerful women alongside Hatshepsut and Cleopatra. Together with Akhenaten as co-regents they attempted to radical transform Egyptian culture and religion through monotheistic worship of Aten. These reforms caused great consternation among Egyptian society; there have even been theories pertaining to Nefertiti’s mysterious disappearance from historical records as a result.

Though Egyptologists and art scholars continue to dispute artistic representations of Queen Nefertiti, there can be no questioning the lasting popularity of her image and legacy. The “Nefertiti effect” still influences art, fashion and popular culture today – an indication of her timeless impact as an icon for female empowerment.

Although it remains uncertain just how powerful Nefertiti was before she married Akhenaten, art from their period often depicts them as one united front. A shrine stela at Berlin Museum shows Nefertiti seated with two of her daughters next to Akhenaten; this suggests they worked collaboratively towards establishing Aten worship rather than competing against each other for power.

Nefertiti was depicted sculpturally within her husband’s palaces during his reign and these depictions indicate she shared many of his religious and cultural goals. For example, Nefertiti is depicted holding up an object called benben stone in one scene of Karnak Hwt-Khons temple where she holds her husband in her right arm – perhaps an indication that she embraced her role as wife-king with pride.

Modern artists around the world have taken inspiration from Queen Nefertiti as an artistic subject, using her iconic bust as an artistic subject to explore themes such as gender, race and colonial entitlement. For instance, Berlin-based artists Nora Al-Badri and Nikolai Nelles used Nefertiti’s bust as a symbol of repatriation by producing multiple 3D prints of her and giving them away to Egyptian institutions as part of their 2016 work The Other Nefertiti.