Detail of a bas relief depicting the crocodile headed god Sobek at Temple of Kom Ombo. Sobek was associated with the Nile River and was often depicted as a powerful and fearsome deity with the head of a crocodile and the body of a human. He was believed to have control over the waters and...
An Egyptian pottery wavy-handled jar inscribed for king Narmer. Formed of Nile alluvial clay, the surface ranging in color from light reddish-brown to beige-cream, of elongated ovoid form, on a slightly convex base, with rounded shoulders and an overhanging rim. The shoulders with triple-arching wavy handles, with a three-character inscription incised below one of the...
“This authoritative yet accessible book tells the story of these Nubian pharaohs of Egypt, from the origins of their kingdom of Kush, through their time as rulers of Egypt, to their heritage in the heart of Sudan―and their rediscovery in modern times. The region of Nubia―now spanning the modern border between Egypt and Sudan―was long...
The ostracon of Seti I is quite a rarity to behold, as a stubbled faced king is a rather peculiar sight in Ancient Egyptian art. Historians suggest the beard is a sign of mourning, growing out a beard is still common practices for mourning in varied cultures around the world until this very day. French...
A cartonnage mummy mask belonging to a High Official found in the Asyut Necropolis of Upper Egypt. The mummy dates from the 11th-12th Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom, c. 2000-1980 B.C. The mask is now on display at The Walters Art Museum. 78.4 Another mummy mask with a similar bearded style was also discovered in...
This statue of a man called Keki, believed to be a courtier in Ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom, is a wonderful example of Old Kingdom craftsmanship and fashion. The pencil moustache was seemingly popular among those elite and rich enough to have statues of such quality made of themselves, as the facial hair appears quite often,...
The heart scarab of Hatnefer is an exceptionally fine example of this type of funerary equipment and is comparable to those made for contemporary royalty. Every feature of the scarab beetle is carefully rendered. The exquisite chain is made of gold wire, plaited in a quadruple-link pattern. The scarab’s base is engraved with a version...
The spectacular “Asyut Dog” is a large limestone statue of what may be a dog, a wolf or a golden jackal – the latter is the most likely. The statue is thought to come from the area surrounding the city of Asyut in Middle Egypt, and more specifically from the vicinity of its sacred animal...
The Scribe of the Place of Truth, Amennakht (New Kingdom, 20th Dynasty, c. 1170 B.C.) kneels before the goddess Meretseger, “She who loves silence”. Amennakht, is in praise of Meretseger who sits before him on a throne of red, blue and orange. She is wearing a red dress and a cuff on her upper left...
One of the best-known vignettes in the Book of the Dead of Taysnakht 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. The heart of the deceased is placed on one pan of a pair of scales,...
