Who does Barbara Streisand remind you of in this photo?
Congratulations! Yes, it's Nefertiti.
It says something about the incomparable image that Queen Nefertiti created for herself that today, over 3,300 years later, the mere suggestion of her famous bust with the 'Tall Blue Crown' is instantly recognisable.
Nefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of Akhenaten, a religious idealist who used his absolute power as pharaoh to promote his favourite god above all others – Aten, the power emanating from the sun’s disc.
Nefertiti's famous 'Tall Blue Crown' is unique among crowns worn by royal women and is a favourite for artists inspired by the great icons of ancient Egypt. But where did it come from?
It is possible that the crown was designed to associate Nefertiti with the goddess Tefnut who wears a similar, although squatter, head-dress.
Although many people think that Akhenaten recognised only Aten, shunning the rest of the vast gallery of Egyptian gods, other sky deities were still included in his philosophy. In fact Akhenaten sometimes represented himself as the god Shu, and Nefertiti as the goddess Tefnut.
Shu was the god of the dry atmosphere between the earth and the sky, and Tefnut was the goddess of the moisture in the air. They formed a divine triad with their father, the creator god, Atum.
By equating themselves with Shu and Tefnut, Akhenaten and Nefertiti reinforced their own divine triad with Aten. This had the added effect of elevating the king and queen's status to just one step down from the supreme creator god.
This photo of Barbara Streisand sporting a Nefertiti-like hairdo, was taken by Cecil Beaton on the set of her1970 movie, "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever".