Egypt Museum ancient Egypt art culture and history

Nefertiti, Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt: Her Life and Afterlife

Nefertiti, Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt: Her Life and Afterlife

Nefertiti, Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt: Her Life and Afterlife (Lives and Afterlives). Egypt’s sun queen magnificently revealed in a new book by renowned Egyptologist, Aidan Dodson. “During the last half of the fourteenth century BC, Egypt was perhaps at the height of its prosperity. It was against this background that the “Amarna Revolution” occurred....

Wadj-shemsi-su

Inscribed with, “Wadj-shemsi-su, engendered by Betyu-ka (his father), born of […] (his mother)”, as well as in cursive hieroglyphs, a fragment of Spell 17 from the Book of the Dead, this fragmentary lid belonged to a man who lived during Ancient Egypt’s 18th Dynasty named Wadj-shemsi-su. From approximately 1500–1425 B.C., the coffin lid is made...

Rose granite Amenhotep III

Measuring at just under 20cm tall (19.1cm), this rose, or red granite head depicts the 18th Dynasty king Amenhotep III and dates from approximately 1390 -1352 B.C. Currently on display at the Louvre in Paris, unfortunately, not much else is documented about the piece. After ascending the throne as a teenager, Amenhotep III ruled for...

Plaster face of a man, possibly Ay

This face of a man was discovered within the remnants of the Sculptor Thutmoses’s workshop in Tel el-Amarna. Although unnamed, some scholars propose it may be the face of Ay, who is also thought to be a brother of Queen Tiye and was definitely king after the death of king Tutankhamun. This association of Ay...

Plaster Amarna Royal

This plaster head depicts an Amarna royal, likely a king, and based upon resemblance it is even more likely to be a casting of king Akhenaten. The head is life-size, and measures at 20.5cm long, and 14.5cm wide, with a 13cm depth. If the head is of king Akhenaten, it could be from early in...

Colossal Tutankhamun

This colossal statue of king Tutankhamun is one of two colossal figures of the king discovered at Medinet Habu, within the remnants of the Hypostyle Hall of the Funerary Temple of king Ay and Horemheb. Made of quartzite, this statue stands around 10ft tall. The remnants of paint remain, giving us a clear indication of...

Pet Monkey

Pet Monkey

A pet monkey under the chair of Maia, wife of the dignitary Rij, as seen upon the north-wall of the antechapel within Rij’s tomb. New Kingdom, Late 18th Dynasty-Early 19th Dynasty, c. 1550–1186 B.C. Tomb of Rij, Saqqara.
Now at Neues Museum, Berlin. ÄM 7278

Irukakhufu

Irukakhufu was an Old Kingdom man who held many titles including, “Royal Acquaintance“, “(Royal) Wab-Priest” and “Overseer of the Pyramid-town of Khufu“. Discovered within the serdab of tomb at the Western Cemetery in Giza, known as Lepsius 21, the statue depicts a man in scribe form, who is believed to be Irukakhufu. Two large offering...

Trial pieces

Ostracon are various shards of limestone and/or pottery, which were used by Ancient Egyptian artisans and scribes as a tablet. The term osatracon however, is not just used for the study of Egyptology, but used by historians studying the geographical regions of various other ancient cultures too. These fragmentary pieces have provided vast amounts of...

Hathor Tunic

Hathor Tunic

Thought to be from Deir el-Bahari at Thebes, this tunic depicts the goddess Hathor in cow form, emerging from the mountain of the West with the solar disc between her horns, along with the double plume. Hieroglyphs write; “Hathor foremost of Thebes, Lady of Heaven, Mistress of the Gods“. The collar is designed with a...