Egypt Museum ancient Egypt art culture and history

Eye of Horus Amulet

Eye of Horus Amulet

Carnelian wadjet amulet (eye of Horus). One side is carved with details. Slightly curved profile and not pierced for suspension. Broken across in two pieces and mended together. In ancient Egypt, people wear carnelian to ward off the Evil Eye and instill peace. The ancient Egyptians called carnelian “the setting sun”. Wadjet eye amulets were...

Gold Amulet of the God Nehebkau

Amulet of the God Nehebkau

Nehebkau, often depicted as a male with a snake head, was originally the explanation of the cause of binding of Ka and Ba after death. Thus his name, which means (one who) brings together Ka and Ba. Since these aspects of the soul were said to bind after death, Nehebkau was said to have guarded...

Amulet of Amun

Amulet of the god Amun

Similar amulet pendants of Amun have been recovered from the royal tombs at Kurru and Nuri in Sudan, and Nubian royalty is often depicted wearing similarly impressive decorations. On the back of the figure is a loop for a chain so that the amulet could be worn around the neck. The figure shows the god...

Sema Symbol Amulet

Sema Symbol Amulet

A stone amulet representing the Sema, or Sma, a symbol for indicating a union. It depicts the lower and upper kingdoms of Egypt and their unity. It is often described as a pair of lungs attached to a windpipe, genitalia, and sometimes both simultaneously. The Sema was often placed on a mummy’s chest in order...

Tablet with the Representation of a Heron

Tablet with the Representation of a Heron

In Ancient Egypt the figure of the grey heron (Bennu or bnw) with a long beak and a double feathered crest was surrounded by mythical associations. When the flooded Nile waters slowly retreated, the heron was among the first birds to appear on the top of the mounds protruding from the water. In the morning...

Coffin Cover of Panehesy

Coffin Cover of Panehesy

The mummy case of the priest Panehesy is a very nice specimen, decorated with winged figures of gods and hieroglyphs. These paintings have a general protective significance. On the back of the sleeve you can see a ‘djed pillar’, the Egyptian symbol for sustainability and eternal existence. For the ancient Egyptians, life after death was...

Relief of Meryt, wife of Maya

Relief of Merit, wife of Maya

Tomb relief of Merit, wife of Maya, Chancellor and overseer of the treasury during the reign of Kings Tutankhamun, Ay and Horemheb of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. From the tomb of Maya at Saqqara. Maya’s titles include: fan bearer on the King’s right hand, overseer of the treasury, chief of the works in...

Statuette representing Isis and Osiris

Statuette representing Isis and Osiris

A bronze statuette of the goddess Isis with outstretched wings around her husband and brother the god Osiris. In a bloody battle, Seth dismembered Osiris and spread his remains all around Egypt. Isis searched for the fragments to make a mummy and thus bring her beloved husband to life once again. Nevertheless, certain versions of...

Relief of the god Min-Amun

Relief of Min-Amun

Min-Amun is Egyptian god of fertility and harvest, depicts him as he was commonly portrayed, carrying a flail in his right hand while simultaneously holding his erect penis in his left hand. Detail from the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut or the Chapelle Rouge. New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, reign of Hatshepsut, ca. 1479-1458 BC. Karnak Temple...

Goddess Nephthys with her outspread wings

Goddess Nephthys with her outspread wings

The goddess Nephthys as a woman with outspread falcon wings offering protection. A detail of the second largest shrine of Tutankhamun. The surface is decorated with texts and vignettes from the Book of the Dead. The falcon wings represent her ability to navigate between the earthly and divine realms, as well as her role as...