Prince Ankhhaf was the son of an Old Kingdom king, most probably king Sneferu, making Ankhhaf the brother of king Khufu. Ankhhaf had the titles “eldest king’s son of his body” (sa nswt n khtf smsw), “vizier” and “the great one of Five of the house of Thoth” (wr djw pr-Djehuti). This bust made of...
This is a vessel in the shape of a cat that dates from early in the 12th Dynasty of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, 1990–1900 B.C. Made from Egyptian alabaster, the cat is sculpted beautifully and inlaid eyes of rock-crystal, lined with copper bring an eerie sense of realism to this piece. Cats held a significant and...
This fragment depicts face and upper torso of Akhenaten with the exaggerated but sensitive features characteristic of representations of this king. The full scene would have shown the king worshiping his sole god, the Aten. This relief is currently on long-term loan to the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung in Berlin. Akhenaten was a progressive king...
At the time of her unwrapping, the mummy of Neskhon [ns-ḫns(w)] (also rendered Neskhons or Nesykhonsu), struck early observers as unusually lifelike. The softness of her features, the fullness of her body, and her well-endowed bust led archaeologists to suggest that she had either borne children or was pregnant at the time of her death....
This head of an unknown princess dates from the Amarna Period, and the family resemblance among the sculptures of the period is noticeable here. The youthful face and enlarged, elongated heads tended to be a choice for the Amarna artists to depict the daughters of the king. Found in Amarna, this head is now on...
Anubis in Roman garb appears on a mosaic titled after the November month, discovered in Tunisia. Anubis, by this time, had also become merged by some with the Greek god Hermes, and went by the name Hermanubis in Graeco-Egyptian religion. This mosaic is currently on display at the Musée archéologique de Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia. In...
The Sarcophagus lid of Tjentwerethequa, “Priestess of Amun”. Third Intermediate period, Early 22nd Dynasty, c. 1000- 901 B.C. It is believed that Tjentwerethequa’s grandson, Lufenamun, a senior priest of Amun-Re, belonged to the priesthood entrusted with the reburial of Egypt’s ancient kings. Their sacred duty was to conceal the rulers of old within hidden caches,...
Quartzite head of King Djedefre from Abu Rawash. Djedefre was the son of King Khufu ruled Egypt for 8 years and built his pyramid in Abu Rawash area in the north of Giza. His name was written inside a royal cartouche and was the first king to take the title of ‘Son of Re’ that...
A false fringe of human hair in pin curl ringlet styleEarly Dynastic Period, 1st Dynasty,Excavated by Sir Flinders Petrie from the tomb of king Djer (also known as Zer or Sekhty), Tomb O, Umm el-Qa’ab, Abydos, Egypt. Wigs were composed of various materials such as human hair, wool, plant fibers, and horsehair. The most expensive...
Idy was an Egyptian man who lived and died within the 6th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom, c. 2345-2181 B.C. He was a nomarch (provincial governor of the varied nomes of Egypt, similar to a local administrator or perhaps a modern local councillor or possibly mayor type figure). He held titles such as Royal...
