Egypt Museum ancient Egypt art culture and history
This limestone fragment from a statue of a woman was found in the remnants of the Temple of Mentuhotep II, at Deir el-Bahari. At 26.50cm tall, unfortunately, her lower body and right arm are missing. She was discovered among other statues, known as “votive statues”, during an excavation of the Temple of Menuthotep II. It...
Within the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, there is a rather strange thing that doesn’t get much attention. It is what appears to be a true to life plaster cast death mask. This is not a mask made by an artist to represent a godlike image of the deceased, but an actual cast of the face....
The tomb of Lady Madja was discovered in a cemetery in Western Thebes overlooking the valley of Deir el-Medina, behind the hill of Qurnet Mourai. What is interesting about the tomb, is that the coffin of Lady Madja was the only depiction of funerary texts and scenes of offerings that the Egyptians believed to be...
Gifted from the Egypt Exploration Society to the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, United States, this fragmentary piece of alabaster showcases the intricate skill of the artisans of the Amarna age. Despite only a fragment remaining, we can get a true insight into the beauty of the pleated royal linens worn during the New...
This double statuette (57.2 × 36.2 cm) depicts the married couple Raramu and Ankhet, and it was found within Raramu’s tomb (G 2099). Raramu was an elite in Ancient Egyptian society within the Old Kingdom period, and he held many titles. Some of those titles showcase his royal ties, such as, “Priest of Khufu in...
Nefer was a man of important status in Ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom period. The owner of Tomb G 2110 at Giza, Nefer clearly held enough societal importance to have a decorated tomb upon the Giza Plateau to enjoy eternity within. Nefer’s titles vary, among some of which are, “Strong-of-voice (of the judiciary), Chief of the...
This limestone statuette, despite its small size (h: 7.1 cm), showcases a charming scene of sentimentality. A woman does the hair of another woman who is nursing a son. The delicate detailing gone into carving the plaited hair and the remnants of paint tells us what care went into creating this piece. Pigments of yellow...
This wooden statuette of a woman stands 16 1/8 in. (41 cm) tall and dates from the Middle Kingdom, c. 1900-1800 B.C.From Asyut, Egypt, this figure showcases a slender woman with a tight-fitting dress with long plaited wig cascading over her bosom. Pigments of yellow, black and white paint remain in fragments upon the wood....
This limestone ostracon from the artisans village of Deir el-Medina (Egyptian: Set Ma’at = “The Place of Truth“), shows a beautifully intricate line drawing of the dwarf god Bes. The faint red pigmented lines, now orange, showcase the talent of the artists living within the worker’s village of Deir el-Medina. Likely a trial piece to...
This limestone statue of a man named Penmernabu holding a shrine was discovered at Deir el-Medina. Penmernabu’s shrine is surmounted by the head of a ram, an animal sacred and associated with the god Amun-Ra. Penmernabu still has the The first datable remains of the village of Deir el-Medina (Set Ma’at) belong to the reign...
Limestone bust of Akhenaten from Tel el-Amarna (ancient Akhetaten) New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, reign of Akhenaten, c. 1352-1335 B.C. Musée du Louvre. E 11076
The Berlin Green Caesar Many archaeologists place this green schist bust of Gaius Julius Caesar from the first century BC, but the majority prefer the first century AD, in the early Imperial period. It is 41cm highs and posthumous portrait, the only known portraits made of Caesar from his lifetime are on coins. It was...
White-robed priests of Isis perform a water ritual as chanting devotees line the steps of the goddess’s temple in this wall painting from Herculaneum. Herculaneum was an ancient Roman town, located in the modern-day commune of Ercolano, Campania, Italy. Herculaneum was buried under volcanic ash and pumice in the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79...