This drawing is an attempt at reconstructing the face of Kushite king Taharqa in his late teenage years as derived from a wide variety of statues and wall paintings showing Taharqa; these include the high-nose bridge, large eyes, high cheek-bones, and round face. The cloth designs are directly drawn from wall paintings.

Taharqa is the most prominent Kushite king; his name is written in several ways “Taharka”, “Tirhaka”, “Tirhakah”, and sometimes the letter "q" is used instead of "k". He is a Biblical figure (see 2 Kings 19:9, and Isaiah 37:9) and is best known for the battle of 701 BC, which took place in the Levant. In this battle Taharqa successfully led the Kushite army against the Assyrian invaders. By defeating the Assyrians, Taharqa, saved the nation of the Judah kingdom from the Assyrian onslaught.