12th Dynasty

Temple lintel of King Amenemhat III

Temple lintel of King Amenemhat III

Royal temple lintel of Amenemhat III: a rectangular limestone raised relief from a temple door lintel. The text is arranged symmetrically, with the central cartouche placed over the axis of the doorway. The text cannot be deciphered into a single sentence, since the elements are arranged according to heraldic rather than linguistic principles. In the...

Head of Senwosret III

This head, of the Middle Kingdom king Senwosret III, was discovered in front of the 4th Pylon of the Karnak Temple Complex in 1970. Made from rose granite, it depicts the king wearing the Double Crown (Pschent). Measuring at 80cm, the face is easily recognizable as Senwosret III from other portraits of the king, although...

Middle Kingdom Family Portrait

Family portrait featuring a male and two female figures. The man wears a plaited wig that is shoulder length. His ears are oversized, something that was seemingly ‘in fashion’ of the time in depictions of the human form. He wears a lengthy skirt or shenydt that wraps around him just above his hip, his hands...

The superintendent Tef-Ib

“The revered before Dwe-mutf, the Domain-Superintendent, Itf-ib, engendered by Itf-ib, the blessed, Lord of Reverence.” These wooden figures of a man named Tef-Ib were discovered within his tomb. Although all representing Tef-Ib, they also hold the inscriptions of the Four Sons of Horus, usually associated with the Canopic jars, as they were deemed protectors of...

Golden diadem and hair ornaments belonging to Lady Senebtisi

Golden diadem and hair ornaments belonging to Lady Senebtisi (daughter of Apis, Lady of the House)Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, c. 1859–1770 B.C.Burial spot discovered within Vizier Senwosret’s (vizier under Senwosret I) funerary complex, el-Lisht, Egypt. Unfortunately, since the discovery of her tomb in 1907, little has been discovered about Lady Senebtisi, but she lives on...

Lady Wadjkaues

Lady Wadjkaues

This relief fragment was found in Deir el-Bersha, Egypt and depicts Lady Wadjkaues, mother of Sep and wife of the nomarch, sat before an offering of food. She has an Egyptian blue lotus flower held to her nose. Lady Wadjkaues is depicted in the typical style of her time with a slender physique, yellow skin,...

Mummy of Ankhef

Ankhef

Excavated by Dr David George Hogarth, the mummy of a man named Ankhef was discovered in Asyut, Egypt. Asyut Ancient Asyut was the capital of the Thirteenth Nome of Upper, c. 3100 B.C, on the western bank of the Nile. The two most prominent gods of ancient Egyptian Asyut were Anubis and Wepwawet, both funerary...

Statue of Lady Kemtet

Lady Kemtet

This painted wooden statuette is of a woman named Lady Kemtet. It dates from around 1900-1802 B.C., making it a Middle Kingdom piece from around the middle of the 12th Dynasty. The statuette was discovered at the Faiyum Entrance Area of Cemetery B, Tomb 262, in Harageh, Egypt. The inscription upon the base writes as...

Canopic case & jars of Gua

Canopic chest & jars of Gua

This wooden chest with four painted Egyptian alabaster canopic jars belongs to somebody called Gua. They date from the 12th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, approximately, 1939-1760 B.C. Discovered in Deir el-Bersha, they are inscribed with funerary texts on behalf of Gua, invoking the Four Sons of Horus, Isis, Nephthys, Selket and Neith. Three of the jars retain remains of linen packages inside.

Amethyst scarab inscribed with hieroglyphs. The Louvre. E 25729

Amethyst scarab inscribed with hieroglyphs

This vibrant purple amethyst scarab beetle is said to be found in Tomb IV at Jebail in Lebanon, according to Montet 1928. However, it is impossible to establish the exact provenance of this beetle (cf. Martin 1996). The scarab is beautifully inscribed on its back with name ‘Impy’ and hieroglyphic signs including ka sign, nefer and lotus sign.