Egypt Museum ancient Egypt art culture and history

Ramesses II smiting a Nubian

Ramesses II smiting a Nubian, depicted in the Temple of Beit el-Wali; a rock-cut temple the king had built in the Nubian region for seemingly propagandist reasoning. The temple was dedicated to the deities; Ra-Horakhty, Amun-Ra, Anuket and Khnum (feminine & masculine Nile deities). The Temple of Beit el-Wali was relocated to higher ground in...

Cleopatra II or III

This head of a queen most likely represents Cleopatra II or her daughter, Cleopatra III. There were 7 Cleopatra’s of Egypt overall, with the 7th being the most notable, going just by “Cleopatra” to the masses. Despite this, the other Cleopatras’ reigns were also filled with notoriety and left some splendid artefacts, such as this...

Imti

This wooden figure depicts Imti as a youth. Dating from around 1900-1800 B.C., it dates from the Middle Kingdom. It is inscribed with a funerary prayer, “Revered before Osiris, Imti, the blessed.” Imti is depicted as a youth, striding forth, nude, wearing only a necklace and cuffs. Children were often (but not always) depicted with...

Quartzite torso of Meketaten

Meketaten was born approximately in Year 4 of Akhenaten’s reign to him and his Great Royal Wife, Nefertiti. She had an elder sister, Meritaten, and four younger sisters: Ankhesenpaaten, Neferneferuaten Tasherit, Neferneferure and Setepenre. Tutankhaten was likely their full brother or half-brother through their father. The first known depiction of Meketaten is on the walls...

Amarna Princess

This delicate limestone statuette portrays a daughter of King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. She is depicted wearing the distinctive “side-lock of youth,” a plaited strand of hair emerging from a cap-like crown, seemingly fashioned from layered beads. The term “side-lock of youth” was coined by Egyptologists to describe this particular hairstyle, which was traditionally worn...

Amarna calf

This talatat from Amarna depicts a farmer with his hand within a cow’s mouth, it is likely the farmer is helping the calf to digest its food. Agriculture was the most important thing to cultures of the ancient world, and Egypt was no different. A major part of the Egyptian religion or spirituality itself was...

Statue of Nehy

Inscription: Everything which goes forth before the lords of the necropolis: bread, beer, oxen and fowl, wine, incense, libation-water and all good and pure things for the Ka of the Osiris, the Mistress of the House, the Chantress of the Mistress of Heaven, She of the Southern Sycamore (Hathor), Nehy, True of Voice. Nehy was...

The baker Djehuty

This double seated statue of an 18th Dynasty baker and his wife Ahhotep is made of limestone. The couple’s children appear upon the sides of their seat. Remnants of paint remain upon the figures of both Djehuty and Ahhotep. They are wearing their finest linens, Djehuty wears a wrap around shendyt that is pulled up...

Ta-Reti

This cartonnage coffin belongs to a woman called Tanetreti-Scherit or “Ta-Reti”, and she was an Ancient Egyptian “Chantress of Amun”, somewhere between, 1070-713 B.C. Ta-reti came from a family of priests and singers or “Chantresses“. Her father was a man named Ankhpakhered (whose title is upon her coffin), who held the title of “Gatekeeper of...

Middle Kingdom Man

This figure of a man is 15 7/8 inches tall with base (40.4 cm), and depicts a male in traditional Middle Kingdom. Carved out of wood, interestingly, the different parts of the body were created separately and then placed together via nails. After this, they were plastered over and painted. The man is currently unknown,...