Egypt Museum ancient Egypt art culture and history

Stele of Iku

Stele of Iku

This stele features a low-relief depiction of a seated woman named Iku, positioned on a chair with lion’s legs. In front of her is an offering table adorned with loaves of bread. She is portrayed wearing a long, smooth wig and a close-fitting dress, while holding a flower to her nose. To the right of...

Stele of Qetesh

Stele of Qetesh

The Stele of Qetesh is a rectangular limestone monument which features a cavetto cornice at the top and is bifacial, with inscriptions and reliefs on both sides. The stele measures approximately 31.5 cm in height and 18.8 cm in width. The central figure is Qetesh, depicted as a frontal nude woman with a Hathoric wig...

Semna Boundary Stela of Senwosret III

The Semna Boundary Stela of Senwosret III holds one of the most significant inscriptions from Ancient Egypt’s Middle Kingdom. It stands as a powerful testament to the king’s military dominance and nationalistic ideology. Discovered at the Semna fortress, located in Nubia near the Second Cataract of the Nile, the stela served both as a territorial...

Statue of Demedji and Hennutsen

Demedji was an Official during Egypt’s Old Kingdom, specifically during the 5th Dynasty, c. 2494–2345 B.C. While not much is known about his exact position, the hieroglyphic inscriptions on this Statue of Demedji and Hennutsen indicate that he held an administrative or bureaucratic role, likely within the royal court or a provincial government. His titles...

Cosmetic Vessel from tomb of Haity

Cosmetic Vessel for unguent

This cosmetic vessel would have been used to store scented oils, unguents, or ointments. In ancient Egypt, such vessels were highly prized for their function in both personal hygiene and religious rituals. They often held oils used for perfumes, hair care, and skin care, essential in a society that placed high importance on cleanliness, beauty,...

Pets in Ancient Egypt

In ancient Egypt, they kept a variety of pets, with cats, dogs, mongooses, monkeys, gazelles, and birds being among the most popular. Many Egyptians deeply cherished their animal companions, and mourning the loss of a beloved pet was a serious ritual. According to Herodotus, in his publication Histories (Book II, Chapter 66) traditional mourning practices...

Maatkare Mutemhat: The High Priestess of Amun

Maatkare Mutemhat was the daughter of Pinedjem I, the de facto ruler of Upper Egypt as the High Priest of Amun at Thebes, and his wife, Duathathor-Henuttawy, who carried the blood of kings, being the daughter of Ramesses XI—the final sovereign of Egypt’s 20th Dynasty. It is thought that Maatkare Mutemhat ascended to a sacred...

Amarna relief with an image of two soldiers

Amarna relief with an image of two soldiers

Limestone relief from a building, decorated with a carved scene showing two soldiers. The soldiers can be identified as Nubians (from Southern Egypt-Sudan) on account of the short wigs that they wear. Nubians were seen as one of the traditional enemies of ancient Egypt because their territories bordered Egypt. Nubian soldiers fighting for Egypt were,...

Statue of Ramose

Statue of Ramose

This limestone sculpture depicts Ramose, a royal scribe from Deir el-Medina, kneeling and presenting statues of Osiris and Nephthys, along with the four sons of Horus: Hapi, Amset, Duamutef, and Qebehsenuef. The statue was discovered in Deir el-Medina, specifically from shaft 1114. The statue’s dimensions are approximately 37 cm in height, 17.2 cm in width,...

Block statue of the priest Horwedjau

This quartzite statue represents the priest Horwedjau, its surface adorned with an inscription that entreats the priests of the Temple at Coptos (Koptos) to offer invocations during various festivals, ensuring the well-being of his Ka. Though the statue’s head is missing, and its feet and base have been restored, its form—a block statue—remains significant. This...