ancient Egypt art culture and history

Pectoral bearing the name of Ramesses II

Pectoral bearing the name of Ramesses II

The pectoral bearing the throne name of Ramesses II written in a cartouche above what is already a dense composition. Two djed pillars fill in the lower corners of the rectangular frame; they symbolize stability and the rebirth of Osiris. Nekhbet and Wadjet, goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt, stand side by side within the...

Statue of Ramessesnakht holding the Theban Triad

Statue of Ramessesnakht and the Theban Triad

Ramessesnakht is donating a statue of the Theban family, Amun is seated in the middle of the little group wearing tall feathers on his flat topped crown, to his left his wife the goddess Mut with a special tall crown and their son Khonsu sitting at his father’s right. Ramessesnakht served as High Priest of...

Dagger of Tutankhamun

Dagger of Tutankhamun

The iron dagger of Tutankhamun is closely correlates with meteoric composition, including homogeneity. Originally discovered in 1925 within the burial wrappings of the king by archaeologist Howard Carter, the iron dagger is of meteorite origin. Tutankhamun’s mummy was provided with two daggers encased in gold sheaths, one with an iron blade and the other with...

Gold Amulet of the God Nefertem

Gold Amulet of the God Nefertem

Gold amulet in the form of Nefertem or Nefertum, he is often defined as the god of perfumes but this association is secondary. He was, in fact, first and foremost, the young god of the lotus bud that emerged from the primordial waters, according to the Egyptian myth, and from which the sun was born....

Law in Ancient Egypt

Law in Ancient Egypt

“The study provides an introduction to law in ancient Egypt. It is the first comprehensive overview of the subject written from the perspective of an American lawyer. The book will be of interest to Egyptologists, legal historians, law students, and educated non-specialists who are interested in the interaction of law, history, and ancient culture. Part...

Stele of Ta-miu

Stele of Ta-miu

This wooden stele would have been placed near the mummy of a married woman called Ta-miu whose name means ‘the cat’. She is given the title ‘Lady of the House’ which may mean is a married woman. Ta-miu is the daughter of Ankh-Khonsu, Superintendent of the Temple of Amun. Both sides of the stele are...

Finger Ring of Throne Name of Tutankhamun

Finger Ring of Throne Name of Tutankhamun, Nebkheperure

The ring bears the throne name of Tutankhamun (“Nebkheperure”), whose spectacular tomb in the Valley of the Kings was discovered in 1922. Tutankhamun was raised in Akhenaten’s court at Amarna, yet his reign saw the reversal of Akhenaten’s revolution, including the return of the court to Thebes. The gold ring was found in an elaborate...

Bracelets of Seti II

Bracelets of Seti II

Two similar silver bracelets found in an anonymous tomb in the Valley of the Kings together with other items belonging to King Seti II and his consort, Queen Twosret . Each bracelet is composed of two parts joined by a hinge and a clasp. The main part is decorated with a scene that shows the...

Wooden Statue of Ptah

Wooden Statue of Ptah

This gilded statue depicts Ptah, the divine patron of craftsmen and artists and lord of creation at Memphis. Twenty-eight wooden statues of deities, wrapped in linen, were found in black-painted shrines. Their purpose was to protect the king during his journey in the underworld. The gilded statue of Ptah wears a robe, richly ornamented with...

Mirror of Princess Sithathoriunet

Mirror of Princess Sithathoriunet

This mirror of Princess Sithathoriunet is a masterpiece of Middle Kingdom art. The mirror itself is made from silver, while the handle is of obsidian. The handle takes the form of a papyrus stem inlaid with gold ending with a double sided face of the goddess Hathor. Through the depiction of the goddess Hathor, the...