What do you think?
NBC Chicago reports:
The spitting image limestone sculpture has been on display at the museum since 1988, but recently started drawing attention because of its likeness to Jacko — complete with disfigured nose.
Unfortunately the bust, which was carved sometime between 1550 B.C. and 1050 B.C., is of a woman and MJ likely never had the chance to see the statuette.
The curator, Jim Phillips, of the Field Museum had this to say:
“The idea that people are coming in specifically to see if they can recognize Michael Jackson is a little disturbing to me, but … if that’s what gets people interested in Egypt, interested that in 1500 B.C. people were carving these lovely faces in limestone, that’s OK with me, too,” Phillips said.
The curator said he’d never noticed the resemblance before, nor had anyone brought it to his attention. “I was never a follower of Michael Jackson, so no, I had never even thought about it.” As far as anyone knows, Jackson himself never visited The Field Museum and was not aware of the bust.
The museum has had the statue in its collection since 1899. It depicts a woman — “There’s no question it’s a woman,” Phillips said, especially considering she’s wearing eye makeup — who lived in Egypt sometime between 1550 and 1050 B.C. Beyond that, she’s as anonymous as Jackson was famous.
We don’t agree that the bust has to be a woman, because Ancient Egyptians, both men and women, wore distinct eye make up, rouge and perfumed oils that softened the skin and prevented burning in the sun and damage from the sandy winds.
