A lotus flower shaped pendant once belonged to the Vizier Imhotep, a high official in the royal court of King Thutmose I. Excavated by Ernesto Schiaparelli and Francesco Ballerini from his tomb (QV46), Valley of the Queens, Thebes. The lotus was shown throughout Egypt in tombs and temples to symbolize the union of Upper and...
The statuette represents the traditional image of a seated cat, with its tail placed on the ground along the right side of the body. The eyes are inlaid with gold. One of the rock crystal pupils that once decorated the eyes has been lost. The skillful technique and delicate elaboration of the body contours and...
Djed-Ptah-Iuf-Ankh emerges from the shadows of history not through inscriptions on temple walls or grand monuments, but solely through his beautifully preserved burial. A high-ranking priest and dignitary, he bore titles such as “Second Prophet of Amun“, District Governor, and intriguingly, “King’s Son of Ramesses” and “King’s Son of the Lord of the Two Lands“;...
Thirteen separate protective wadjet eye amulets, made from Egyptian faience in molds, decorate this necklace. The most popular of all Egyptian amulets was the wadjet eye, which was worn to promote health and well-being. The mythological origin of this symbol is rooted in the struggle between Horus, who was the rightful heir to the throne...
Nun or Nu, god of the primeval waters, origin of all life and chaos, lifts the barque of the sun god Re (represented by both the scarab and the sun disk) into the sky at the beginning of time. Nut, goddess of the Sky, is hanging from above, holding the god Osiris, also hanging from...
Vignette from Book of the Dead of Nestanebetisheru; frame 87. Full page black line vignette of Geb, Nut and Shu with three registers either side of adoring ancient Egyptian gatekeepers, ba’s and deities including Thoth. Every figure has an accompanying hieroglyphic label written in black ink. Geb is shown as a semi-recumbent figure stretching out...
One of the best-known vignettes in the Book of the Dead is that of the weighing of the heart (“psychostasia”) in the tribunal of the Double Truth, in the presence of Osiris and other gods of the netherworld. Chapter 125 of Book of Dead, Papyrus of Taysnakht, daughter of Taymes. The heart of the deceased...
The mummy of Ramesses IV was found in the royal cache of Amenhotep II’s tomb (KV35) in 1898. After a short reign of about six and a half years, Ramesses IV died and was buried in tomb (KV2) in the Valley of the Kings. The king’s eyes were replaced by artificial ones made of small...
Blue faience scarab, commemorating the marriage of Amenhotep III with Queen Tiye. The inscription on the underside is inlaid with bluish-white glaze. There are additional inscriptions on two sides, under the legs of the beetle – right) name of Queen Tiye; left) throne name of Amenhotep III. Probably sent to dignitaries of Egypt as announcements....
Gold signet ring of a “Priest of Isis of Khufu” Neferibre, i.e. a priest of the temple of Isis at Giza. The bezel is oval shaped with the inscribed area being slightly raised leaving an oval border. Because this ring bears a cartouche of King Khufu, it was once world famous as the actual signet...
