This fishing model was found in the serdab of Meketre’s tomb which contained 25 wooden models of men and women performing various daily tasks typical of life along the Nile. One vivid and animated scene shows fishermen on board two green-hulled boats used on the river in ancient times; the boats are made from strips...
In this sculpture from a statue, the head of king Senusret III was no more considered to be a divinity, but a human being. This is reflected in the king’s face, which has wrinkles, a pouting mouth and a protruding chin. All these show old age, a serious nature and weariness. On his head he...
When Flinders Petrie and Guy Brunton explored the shaft tomb of Princess Sithathoriunet in 1914 (located in the funerary complex of Senusret II at El Lahun), they found little apart from her red granite sarcophagus and a set of canopic jars, the vessels which accompanied each burial to house the internal organs. Then they discovered...
This double statue of Amenemhat III as Hapi, the Nile god, was discovered at Tanis, capital of the 21st Dynasty Kings, however, the two male figures are clearly portraits of the 12th Dynasty king Amenemhat III. They are carved with perfect symmetry, offering fish, birds, and aquatic plants. Both wear heavy wigs with large braids,...
This statue is one of ten, made out of white limestone, depicting King Senusret I seated on his throne wearing the nemes headdress decorated with the uraeus or rearing cobra. The statues differ slightly from one another and bear the harmonious features of a young man with a serene expression. The most remarkable thing about...
The frame of this pectoral of Princess Sithathor is topped by a cavetto cornice. Below, at the center of the piece, is a cartouche of Senusret II, surmounted by the hieroglyphic symbol for gods. On either side of the cartouche is a hawk, each wearing the Double Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, and standing...
In this example of a block statue made of granite, Hotep is wearing a smooth, flaring wig with a slight central parting that leaves his protruding ears exposed. In contrast with the modeling of the body the face, with its soft, delicate lines, is carefully finished. The eyes, with the typical eye-paint, are large, the...
This wooden head is a part of a composite princess statue. The parts of this statue were sculpted separately and then assembled. Small details sometimes provide crucial clues to understanding a sculpture. It is believed to have belonged to a princess or even a queen of the 12th Dynasty, based on the fine depiction of...
This black granite statue of Amenemhat III as a priest, of which only the torso remains, was discovered in 1862 by Auguste Mariette in the ancient capital of the Faiyum Oasis, known by the Greeks as Crocodilopolis. The king is dressed as a priest, evidenced by the leopard skin and paw over both shoulders. He...
The granite sphinx of Amenemhat III was discovered at Tanis (today San al-Haggar). It shows Amenemhat III with a human face and a lion’s body, in other words, a perfect creature, as intelligent as a human being yet as strong as a lion. Seven sphinxes of Amenemhat III were found in Tanis in the eastern...
