Artifacts

Vulture Headdress Inlay

Vulture Headdress

This inlay of a vulture headdress is said to have been discovered among the Treasure of Dendara, and dates from the Ptolemaic Period, c. 100 – 1 B.C., and is made from gold and over 100 semi-precious stones. Thin plates of over 100 perfectly cut precious stones were cut to make this delicate piece. The...

Round-Crown and Wig inlay. Walters Art Museum. 1920.1976

Round-Crown and Wig inlay

Both of these faïence depictions of royal headdresses date from the late 18th Dynasty to possibly early 19th Dynasty. The first, is likely to have been depicted upon the head of a late 18th Dynasty queen, and next is the round crown, as seen adorning the head of kings such as King Amenhotep III. Lavender...

Relief of Mentuhotep II

Relief of Mentuhotep II

King Mentuhotep II being embraced by the falcon-god of war Montu (no longer visible) Middle Kingdom, 11th Dynasty, c. 2055-2004 B.C. Temple of Mentuhotep, Deir el-Bahari. Limestone relief of Mentuhotep II: this section of raised relief shows Mentuhotep II, wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt, embraced by the god Montu. Montu embraces the king...

golden scarab dates from approximately 1980–1801 B.C., during the Middle Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt

Middle Kingdom Scarab

This golden scarab dates from approximately 1980–1801 B.C., during the Middle Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt. It was purchased from Mohammed Mohasseb and Son, in Luxor, by Lucy Olcott Perkins through Henry W. Kent and now resides at the Cleveland Museum of Art. It is 1.1 cm and weighs 1.6 g (0.06 oz.). The scarab...

King Narmer Jar

King Narmer Jar

An Egyptian pottery wavy-handled jar inscribed for king Narmer. Formed of Nile alluvial clay, the surface ranging in color from light reddish-brown to beige-cream, of elongated ovoid form, on a slightly convex base, with rounded shoulders and an overhanging rim. The shoulders with triple-arching wavy handles, with a three-character inscription incised below one of the...

Ostracon of a king with a stubbled beard. Walters Art Museum. 32.1

King with a stubbled beard

The ostracon of Seti I is quite a rarity to behold, as a stubbled faced king is a rather peculiar sight in Ancient Egyptian art. Historians suggest the beard is a sign of mourning, growing out a beard is still common practices for mourning in varied cultures around the world until this very day. French...

A cartonnage mummy mask belonging to a Bearded High Official found in the Asyut Necropolis of Upper Egypt.

Bearded High Official

A cartonnage mummy mask belonging to a High Official found in the Asyut Necropolis of Upper Egypt. The mummy dates from the 11th-12th Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom, c. 2000-1980 B.C. The mask is now on display at The Walters Art Museum. 78.4 Another mummy mask with a similar bearded style was also discovered in...

Close up of Keki. Department of Egyptian Antiquities of the Louvre. A 41

Seated limestone statue of Keki

This statue of a man called Keki, believed to be a courtier in Ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom, is a wonderful example of Old Kingdom craftsmanship and fashion. The pencil moustache was seemingly popular among those elite and rich enough to have statues of such quality made of themselves, as the facial hair appears quite often,...

Heart Scarab of Hatnefer

Heart Scarab of Hatnefer

The heart scarab of Hatnefer is an exceptionally fine example of this type of funerary equipment and is comparable to those made for contemporary royalty. Every feature of the scarab beetle is carefully rendered. The exquisite chain is made of gold wire, plaited in a quadruple-link pattern. The scarab’s base is engraved with a version...

Asyut Dog

Asyut Dog

The spectacular “Asyut Dog” is a large limestone statue of what may be a dog, a wolf or a golden jackal – the latter is the most likely. The statue is thought to come from the area surrounding the city of Asyut in Middle Egypt, and more specifically from the vicinity of its sacred animal...