Egypt Museum ancient Egypt art culture and history

Coffin of Iineferty

Iineferty was the wife of Sennedjem, an artisan who lived in the worker’s village of Deir el-Medina, and who worked during the reigns of both king Seti I and his son king Ramesses II. Sennedjem is most famous today for his beautifully decorated tomb, where he and his family were interred, which is now known...

Daughters and wife of Rekhmire

Daughters and wife of Rekhmire

The four daughters of Vizier Rekhmire and his wife, Meryt, stand before an offering table of tribute placed in dedication to their parents.The two older daughters stand behind the two smaller, younger daughters. The four sisters offer their parents sistrums, alongside a perfume dish and vessel. Tomb of the Vizier Rekhmire (TT100), reign of Thutmose...

Sarcophagus lid of the Vizier Sasobek

Sarcophagus lid of the Vizier Sasobek

Black siltstone base and lid of the anthropoid sarcophagus of Sasobek, northern vizier of Egypt during the reign of Psamtik I: the lid is finely carved, showing the deceased wearing wig, beard and collar and with two vertical registers of hieroglyphic offering texts, surmounted by a figure of Nut. “It may have been found in...

Nikare with wife Khuennub and daughter Khuennebti

Nikare with wife Khuennub and daughter Khuennebti

This painted limestone statue of an Ancient Egyptian Old Kingdom family, dates from the 5th Dynasty, c. 2420-2389 B.C.The statue depicts Nikare, the Official of the Granary, with his wife Khuennub knelt by his side, and their daughter Khuennebti standing beside her father. Found in Saqqara, likely the Memphite region, the limestone statue still has...

Mummy mask of a man

This mummy mask of an Ancient Egyptian High Official dates from the late 18th Dynasty. We can be assured of this man’s status by the double collared necklace adorning the top of his broad usekh collar. These pieces were handed out by the king himself in a grand ceremony, often depicted with pride within the...

Ostracon of king spearing lion

King spearing lion

This ostracon depicting a lively scene of a Ramesside pharaoh hunting wild animals with a spear, was given to the Earl of Carnarvon during a division of finds, after excavations conducted by Howard Carter in 1920. It was discovered within the Valley of the Kings, among debris near the entrance of what would be the...

Painted limestone head of an Old Kingdom woman

This painted limestone head of a woman was found in the mud brick mastaba Tomb of Nikhasutnisut (G 7911), Giza. Found among the debris of a pit, during the Harvard University-Museum of Fine Arts Expedition of 1930/31, the head of the woman measures at 9.2 cm high and 6.8cm wide. She is broken at the...

Alabaster ointment jar inscribed for Hatshepsut. Met Museum. 18.8.15

Alabaster ointment jar inscribed for Hatshepsut

This beautifully rounded alabaster ointment jar is adorned with an inscription dedicated to the female king Hatshepsut. “King’s Daughter, King’s Sister, God’s Wife, King’s Great Wife (principal queen), Hatshepsut, may she live and endure like Re forever.” The latter part of the dedication was usually reserved for king’s alone, thus it is safe to presume...

Glazed composition beaded necklace. British Museum. EA57886

Glazed composition beaded necklace

This string of glazed composition beads; with various colours and forms, including grapes and daisies, dates from the 18th Dynasty of Pharaonic Egypt. It is 32.5cm in length and was purchased from Hon Richard Bethell and acquired by the British Museum (EA57886) in 1925. The striking colours of both the amulets and the beadwork of...

Red Granite heads of Amenhotep III

These group of heads, all made from Aswan “rose” Granite range in slightly smaller than life-size, and over life-size scale, and they all depict the same king, who is almost certainly king Amenhotep III of Ancient Egypt’s 18th Dynasty. These heads were discovered in Thebes but are currently spread around various museums across the world,...