Stone relief plaque depicting a Ram, representation of god Amun, or of Banebdjedet of Mendes. The two sets of horns on this exemplary portrayal of a ram reflect ancient Egyptian sculptors’ simultaneous close observation of nature and strict adherence to artistic tradition. The elongated corkscrew horns atop the ram’s head belong to a species that...
Mummy of an adult man, name unknown. The preparation has been carried out with great care and skill by the embalmer, and the rounded and shapely contours of a living body have been skillfully imitated. The features of the face are painted upon the outermost wrappings. The fingers and toes are each wrapped separately; the...
Bes, the Egyptian protector of infants and expectant mothers, is distinguished by his unusual iconography. The body is stocky, the legs are bowed and the face is similar to a mask, with a snarling mouth, protruding tongue, and the large swollen eyes marked by deep lines. In this specimen from the Roman Age there are...
The statue depicts the god Apis with a human body and a bull’s head. The arms, the lower part of the body and the legs are missing; however, the god was probably depicted in a standing position holding his right arm in front of him, holding the scepter or was, symbol of power, conserved in...
This papyrus belonged to the Mistress of the House and Chantress of Amun, Tanetshedkhons, a Theban noblewoman of the 21st Dynasty. The scroll is inscribed with portions of two funerary texts known as the “Litany of Re” and the “Amduat,” or “Book of that which is in the Underworld.” The “Amduat”, like the “Book of...
Wooden tomb models were deposited as grave goods in the tombs and burial shafts throughout ancient Egypt since its early history, most notably in the Middle Kingdom of Egypt. They included a wide variety of wooden figurines and scenes, such as boats, granaries, baking and brewing scenes and butchery scenes. These served as ways to...
“Few personalities from classical antiquity are more familiar yet more poorly grasped than Cleopatra VII (69–30 B.C.), queen of Egypt. The subject of a vast repertory of post-antique popular culture and also a significant figure in literature, art, and music, Cleopatra herself is surprisingly little known and generally misunderstood. Even in the years immediately after...
These two unique two gold rings are decorated with lotus flowers. The blossoms are made from lapis lazuli and carnelian set into gold cloisons. One ring of this pair has a slender hoop attached to a lentoid bezel on which opposing lotus blossoms with petals of alternating dark and light blue glass are cut and...
“Preserved carved in stone or inked on papyri, hieroglyphic writings from ancient Egypt give a unique insight into an awe-inspiring but also deeply mysterious culture. The fascination that Ancient Egypt holds in our minds has many sources, but at the heart of it lie hieroglyphics. This extraordinary writing system was for many years seen as...
The lintel, a horizontal board or stone above a door, is decorated with the cartouche of Thutmose I as well as figures of Seth and Nubti sculpted on either side of the cartouche. The falcon Horus is standing above the Serekh, or palace facade, on which is inscribed the Horus name of the King, Ka-nakht-mery-Maat,...
