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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
One of the most popular amulets in ancient Egypt, the wadjet eye amulet represents the healed eye of the god Horus. It depicts a combination of a human and a falcon eye, since Horus was often associated with a falcon. Its ancient Egyptian name, wadjet, means “the one that is sound (again).” In Egyptian mythology...
This remarkable pectoral depicts, on its right side, the god Seth, representing southern Egypt, and on the left, a hieracosphinx symbolising Horus, the divine protector of northern Egypt. At the centre lies an emblem of the goddess Hathor, a motif that was already ancient by the time of the Middle Kingdom. The beautifully worked back...
“This authoritative yet accessible book tells the story of King Tutankhamun, from his own lifetime in the fourteenth century BC, down to modern times. An innovative account of the life of Tutankhamun, the rediscovery of his existence, and the enduring impact of the finding of his tomb, by leading Egyptologist Aidan Dodson. The spectacular discovery...
