Egyptian faience statuette of a hippopotamus decorated with lily plants, symbolic of regeneration in the hereafter. These statuettes were popular grave goods that were placed close to the mummy in the coffin. Plants and animals characteristic of the marshes where the hippo lived are depicted on its body. The king’s ritual hippopotamus hunt symbolized his...
This cosmetic vase in the form of fish was found in a medium-sized private house at Tell el-Amarna, buried under a plaster floor together with two glass jugs and some metal objects. It is the most spectacular of a small group of fish-form vessels, all representing the ‘bulti’-fish common in the Nile and a standard...
The frog ring is made of Egyptian blue, which was a vibrant blue pigment, considered to be the first synthetically-produced pigment, composed of quartz sand, a copper compound, and calcium carbonate. The color blue was highly prized in ancient Egypt and the creation of a synthetic pigment allowed artists to produce imitations of the precious...
This small, painted votive statue depicts King Akhenaten and his Great Wife Nefertiti. The king and queen are shown hand in hand (a notedly unusual pose in New Kingdom artwork), as if walking forward together. They stand quite far apart, entirely unbending as they stare straight ahead, without the ghost of a smile. They are...
The King’s relatives, such as Princess Nefertiabet, Khufu’s daughter—depicted on this relief stele found in her tomb (G 1225) in Giza—were buried beside the sovereign’s pyramid. Nefertiabet is shown seated facing right. She is depicted with a long wig and a panther-skin garment. An offering table in front of her bears reeds, as is common,...
In this statue, King Sneferu, the founder of the 4th Dynasty, can be seen wearing the White Hedjet Crown of Upper Egypt, and a collar around his neck. The king wears a short kilt, which is carved in detail and tied by a belt. The cartouche of king Senferu can be seen at the center...
A canopic jar lid with a representation of Duamutef, the jackal-headed son of Horus, protected the stomach of the deceased and was in turn protected by the goddess Neith. The Four Sons of Horus were a group of four gods in ancient Egyptian religion, who were essentially the personifications of the four canopic jars, which...
The statuette is a faithful model of a hedgehog with a long nose, small eyes, and pointed ears, but the body is completely covered with spines in a rather representational manner. The figure is made from blue faience and stands on an oval faience base. Images of hedgehogs were painted in tombs of the Old...
This necklace with a pectoral had once adorned the figure of Princess Mereret, the daughter of King Senusret III and sister of his successor Amenemhat III. It bears a cartouche containing the coronation name of Amenemhat III as decoration. Represented as two falcon-headed sphinxes, the king smites his enemies. Above, the vulture-goddess, Nekhbet, is shown...
Realistic style portrait head of king Amenemhat III, wearing the white Hedjet crown of Upper Egypt, made out of greywacke. This head from a statue shows highly individualistic facial features, which goes against the usual idealizing tendencies. Amenemhat Ill’s features are clearly marked and give life to a highly individualistic portrait quite unlike the idealized...
