Egypt Museum ancient Egypt art culture and history

Statue of King Mentuhotep II. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 36195

Statue of Mentuhotep II

This statue of King Mentuhotep II is made out of painted sandstone, represents a stepping-stone in the renaissance of Egyptian art at the beginning of the Middle Kingdom. King Mentuhotep II is shown here seated, wearing the red Deshret crown of Lower Egypt, a knee-length white Heb Sed, or jubilee robe, and a ceremonial beard....

Statue of the God Ptah

Statuette of the God Ptah

This statuette of Ptah is remarkable for its beauty and size, state of preservation, elaborate manufacture provisions, and its demonstrable date to the Third Intermediate Period. The great Egyptian god Ptah was a deity whose many aspects include those of both a creator god and a god who listens to individuals’ prayers. Ptah’s name was...

Head of Queen Tiye

Portrait of Queen Tiye

This small portrait of Queen Tiye (22.5cm with feathered sun disc crown) was probably produced in the last years of her husband Amenhotep III’s reign because the queen is shown at an advanced age. The original nemes (revealed with C.T scanning) was of silver with a gold uraeus but was covered with several layers of...

Model of a Soul House

Model of a Soul House

This model from Rifah of the “Soul House” type represents a house with a three-columned portico behind a walled courtyard; in front of the courtyard a libation spout is partly preserved. A stairway on the right gives access to the roof of the house, where an arched opening represents a feature in actual houses through...

Model of a Soul House and Garden

Model of a Soul House and Garden

This model shows the facade of a soul house with a portico, or covered entrance, that is supported by two rows of four columns in the form of bound lotus flowers and stems. The well-preserved colors of these columns range from white and yellow to blue, while the capitals are painted in green and red....

Plaque of a princess eating a roasted duck

Plaque of a princess eating a roasted duck

In this sculptor’s model plaque, the princess is biting into a duckling held in her right hand, while reaching with her left hand for fresh fruits and vegetables placed on a table in front of her. The artist had begun to carve the lower part of the body and the cushion on which the princess...

Model of ancient Egyptian Infantry

Model of ancient Egyptian soldiers

This group model of ancient Egyptian soldiers was found in the tomb of Mesehti, a local governor of Asyut at the end of the First Intermediate Period and the beginning of the Middle Kingdom. The group consists of forty soldiers arranged in ten lines. They are colored reddish brown, their strong tan indicating their continuous...

Humanoid Khepri Scarab

Humanoid Khepri Scarab Amulet

A rare figure of the Egyptian scarab beetle creator god Khepri, with a human head and arms emerging from a scarab’s exoskeleton. The so-called heart scarabs had to protect the heart of the deceased. According to ancient Egyptians, the heart contained the intellect and emotions. For this reason, it should have been preserved in the...

Mummy of King Seti I

Mummy of Seti I

Seti I is believed to have died at around 40–50 years old, based on studies of his mummy and historical records. His reign lasted approximately 11–15 years, c. 1290–1279 B.C. Seti I’s achievements spanned military, architectural, and administrative domains, setting the stage for the prosperity of his son and successor, Ramesses II (Ramesses the Great)....

Statue of Netjer-Ankh

Statue of Netjer-Ankh

The serpent statue of Netjer-Ankh, or the Living God, was one of the deities in charge of protecting the regions of the underworld and defending the sun god as he passed through each night. This statue is made of gilded wood and stands on a wooden base darkened with varnish. The eyes are made of...