The bust was bought in Cairo in 1889 and has been on display at the museum for 21 years. Chicago timber baron Edward E. Ayer bought the statue in Egypt in 1894. It was donated to the museum in 1899 and it has been on display since 1988 in the Field Museum’s permanent exhibition Inside Ancient Egypt.

Archaeologists have noted that this bust was carved during the New Kingdom Period of Egyptian history and that was between 1550 BC to 1050 BC.

The model was carved sometime during the reign of King Ramesses or King Tut, but there is no exact time, who it is or why it was created, as there are no hieroglyphics on it.

This Egyptian carving is one of the most popular exhibits at the Chicago Field Museum, as many Michael Jackson fans come by yearly and treat the visit to the museum like a pilgrimage. Some people ask about this Egyptian statue before buying tickets and many head directly to the exhibit as they enter the museum.

Some fans might go overboard and would want to touch or kiss the statue as they are convinced that it is Michael Jackson. Visitors are banned from doing this and the carving is actually behind a protective screen.

Despite it looking like Michael Jackson, the limestone carving is actually a statue of a woman. The model measures 25 cm high by 35 cm wide.

Many are convinced that this is Michael Jackson as the nose of the bust is seen as eerily the same as the King of Pop. There is an explanation for the missing nose and a curator at the museum explained that:

“95% of Egyptian statues and busts were defiled by early Christians and Muslims because they were used for idolatry. They looked at these as idols and taking the nose off made them ‘non-human.’”

People are convinced that this is Mike when they take a look at his 1993 pop smash, “Remember the Time”. The music video is set in Egypt and could not be anymore coincidental.