The mummy of king Ahmose I was discovered in the Royal Cache of Deir el-Baharai, in 1881. He was buried within a coffin inscribed with his name, and his wrappings also bore his name in hieratic script, as well as a garland of Delphinium flowers wrapped around his neck. King Ahmose I holds a place...
The “Prosthetic Toe of Tabaket-en-Mut,” commonly called the Cairo Toe or Cairo Wooden Toe, is one of the oldest known functional prosthetic body parts in the world. The Cairo Toe is a wooden and leather prosthetic big toe discovered on the mummy of an Egyptian noblewoman named Tabaket-en-Mut, likely the daughter of a priest. Although...
This charming little pylon-shrine, carved in painted limestone, once stood not in a grand temple but within the private quarters of an Amarna household. Discovered amid the ruins of Akhetaten (the short-lived capital founded by Akhenaten, known today as Amarna) it belongs to a distinctive class of domestic altars that flourished during the city’s brief,...
The Seated Statue of the Steward Sehetepibreankh is a notable example of Middle Kingdom Egyptian sculpture, dating to approximately 1919–1885 B.C. during the reign of Amenemhat II. This limestone statue was excavated in 1923–24 from Pit 6L.P19 in the tomb of Sehetepibreankh at Lisht South, located in the Memphite region of Egypt. The statue exemplifies...
This ostracon is a remarkable piece of ancient Egyptian art, and it is often recognized for its portrayal of a young king, which provides a rare and valuable glimpse into royal iconography during the 20th Dynasty (around 1150 BC). Like many ostraca, this one is made of limestone, which was a common material used by...
The sarcophagus of Harkhebit exhibits typical Memphite craftsmanship, characterized by a plump, squarish face, a smooth, unarticulated body, and slightly protruding feet. The body is inscribed with sunk-relief hieroglyphs, including passages from the Book of the Dead. The interior carvings were left rough, possibly intended for painting, perhaps in green. Harkhebit held several esteemed titles,...
Painted relief depicts goddess Hathor offers Menat necklace to Seti I, from a pillar in the Tomb of Seti I (KV17) in the Valley of the Kings, West Thebes. Seti I’s tomb is known for its rich decoration, which included elaborate depictions of gods and pharaohs in various religious contexts. It’s also famous for the...
Sobekemsaf was a Theban king of the Second Intermediate Period, when northern Egypt was occupied by the Hyksos. This chest contained his embalmed entrails, which were wrapped and contained in four ‘canopic’ jars. An image of these jars is painted on the flat inside lid of this chest. The outer surface of the lid is...
This head was part of a statue, carved from sandstone, of king Mentuhotep II, the unifier of Egypt, at the end of the so-called First Intermediate Period, at the end of the third millennium BC., and whose name is written on the back supporting pillar. The face is painted dark red to render the idea...
The sculpture depicts a young woman of Nubian descent, adorned with a brightly patterned skirt, a necklace, anklets, and a headband. She is believed to represent an attendant of one of the Hathor priestesses or royal wives at the court of Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II. Similar figures were found in the same tomb, suggesting that they...
