The ceremonial axe of King Ahmose I, founder of the 18th Dynasty, stands as a tribute to his victories and the liberation of Egypt from the Hyksos. This exquisite weapon is adorned with intricate scenes celebrating the king’s triumphs. Ahmose is depicted in the form of a sphinx, symbolising his strength and divine authority. Above...
This mummified falcon is covered with an intricate pattern of wrappings done in natural and dyed brown linen. The details of the face and head of the bird have been rendered in paint over a white gesso ground. The falcon was identified from the earliest times with the sun god Horus and the reigning king,...
Horus was the symbol of the king and his protector, on this pendant amulet he is shown wearing the Double Pschent Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, the symbol of kingship. The falcon’s wings are folded, and he perches on a schematic version of the traditional block border motif. The pendant was formed of two...
This scarab amulet is made of gold, a metal strongly associated with the sun. The blue enamel symbolizes the life-giving waters of the Nile. Scarab amulets were frequently wound into a mummy’s bandages to protect the deceased and ensure rebirth. The ancient Egyptians understood the sun god to manifest himself in multiple forms, chiefly those...
“One side of this ivory fragment wand carving depicts a figure of a crocodile with its tail curved below the head and body. The mouth, eyes, leg scales, and body ridges are carved in minute detail. With its eye open and jaws closed in alert pose it faces right toward the accompanying figures (now lost)....
In this statue, Hatshepsut is kneeling and making an offering of Nu vases. From her mortuary temple in Deir el-Bahari, West Thebes. By making this offering, Hatshepsut affirms that Maat is the guiding principal of her reign. Hatshepsut, also spelled Hatshepsut, female king of Egypt who attained unprecedented power for a woman, adopting the full...
This Egyptian faience vase is molded in the form of the goddess Taweret, the ancient Egyptian patroness of childbirth and a protector of women and children. Like Bes, she was considered to be a ferocious demon as well as a protective and nurturing deity. She was associated with the lion, the crocodile, and the hippo;...
The pectoral of king Shoshenq II displays two falcons at its top, each wearing the Double Pschent Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. They are sitting upon the hieroglyphic symbol for sky, which is adorned with stars. Below, resting upon a boat, can be seen a lapis lazuli sun-disc, with an image of the enthroned...
This bronze Axe with the monogram of Kha is incised on the upper face of the blade. Some of the tools found in Kha’s funerary assemblage belong to the world of carpentry. An axe stands out among them. It has a wooden handle and a bronze blade, engraved with Kha’s monogram, attached by an elaborate...
The Queen Iset or Isis, was the mother of King Thutmose III, second great royal wife of King Thutmose II. The Queen wears a large wig, with two uraeus at the forehead, the left one wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt and the right one wearing the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. The base...
