Portrait head of a princess of one of the daughters of Akhenaten and Nefertiti from a composite statue, it was discovered within the workshop of the royal sculptor Thutmose at Tell el-Amarna, or Akhetaten. In Amarna art the daughters of Akhenaten and Nefertiti express the tenets of the new religion. Gathered playfully near their parents,...
The stele of sculptor Bek the chief royal artist is itself a very distinctive product, with two figures contained within a naos but carved almost three-dimensionally. If, as would seem very possible, Bek himself carved the stele, this would be the oldest self-portrait known. The inscription of this stele also mentions him being taught by...
Some of the earliest silver objects unearthed in Egypt are these rare silver bracelets that once belonged to Queen Hetepheres I. They are inlaid with turquoise, lapis lazuli, and carnelian, in the form of a butterfly. The internal and external surfaces of this small box, or casket, were covered with gold leaf. The lid of...
The seat and the backrest of the armchair Armchair of Queen Hetepheres I are made of natural wood. They are surrounded by a simple wooden frame covered with gold leaf with high arms in gilded wood. The backrest of the chair is reinforced at the rear by a central support. The space between the arms,...
The vizier Hor is shown seated with one leg bent up against his chest and the other resting on the ground; it is the traditional way to sit, and is used by Egyptian peasants to this day. He has a shaved head, delicate features, round cheeks and a small mouth. His kilt is held up...
This sunken relief depicts Hatshepsut offering incense to the fertility god Min-Amun, most often represented in male human form, shown with an erect penis which he holds in his left hand and an upheld right arm holding a flail. Although it had been demolished and parts were reused in antiquity, following rediscovery, the chapel has...
This exquisite gold head of the falcon god Horus, lord of the sun and patron deity of kingship, was found below the floor of the main chamber of his temple at Hierakonpolis, north of Edfu. The head, which is made out of beaten gold, was fixed to a copper statue of the falcon Horus. It...
This original gold cosmetics container in the shape of a shell or scallop was found in the pyramidal complex of the king Sekhemkhet which was built on the model of his predecessor Djoser. For the ancient Egyptians, the plant and animal worlds were an inexhaustible source of decorative themes, particularly in the design of small,...
This fine limestone statue probably comes from a chapel dedicated to the god Horus, in the vicinity of the tomb of King Djer at Abydos. At the time of the discovery, the statue still retained significant remains of its polychromy. The breast was covered with a gold leaf, and the wings still had, in places,...
These four bracelets were discovered at Abydos in the tomb of King Djer of the 1st Dynasty. They were fastened onto a linen-wrapped forearm of a woman, who might have been King Djer’s queen or a member of the royal family. The bracelets were held in place by linen bandages, which made it possible to...
