Egypt Museum ancient Egypt art culture and history

Ushabti of Ptahmes

Ptahmes wears a tripartite wig which was painted black. The face is painted red and has clearly delineated features, including ears, nose, mouth and eyes. The eyes are outlined in black paint. There is no beard. The arms are shown bent at the elbows and held across the belly. The hands are shown in fists...

Monkey's Grooming

Monkey’s Grooming

This small limestone figurine depicts a monkey grooming another, and from the right side a small monkey can be seen grooming another tiny monkey, between the two.The purpose of this figurine is uncertain, it could have been made just as an amusing trinket. However, the Royal Ontario Museum, where this piece now resides, actually proposes...

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 small limestone statuette depicts a daughter of king Akhenaten and Nefertiti. She is depicted with a “side lock” of youth, protruding from a cap crown, seemingly made of layered beads. A “side lock” of youth is the modern term coined by Egyptologists to recognize this specific hairstyle, which was often worn by children or...

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...

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...