At the height of the New Kingdom, high-ranking governmental officials commissioned life-size statues in various materials. These sculptures were sometimes conceived of as a husband and wife pair. In contrast to earlier periods, they would typically show the spouses at the same scale, seated shoulder to shoulder with arms crossed and stretched behind the back, allowing each other's hand to rest upon the other’s shoulder. Although the body to which this head was attached is missing, a good deal can still be deduced from it. The deep orange-red of the male figure’s skin color is intact, differentiating it from the much lighter yellow pigments used in rendering the complexions of women. The hair of his elaborate wig is unparted, and the delicately twisted (status-conveying) tresses hide the ears. The lips are pursed upward to form a pleasing smile at an angle echoed by those of the lightly cut almond-shaped eyes.