Upon the west bank at Thebes, in the Tomb of Menkheperraseneb, High Priest of Amun, a vivid procession unfolds across the plastered wall. Here, emissaries of Amurru, a vassal land of Syria-Palestine, approach the Egyptian court bearing tribute to the conquering Thutmose III. The men are rendered with striking individuality: pale-skinned figures in patterned tunics,...
There is something curiously moving about leather; the way it warms to the touch, takes on a soft lustre with age, and carries the faint memory of its maker. And so, amid the gilded splendour of the new Grand Egyptian Museum, it is not the golden mask nor the bejewelled sandals that capture the breath...
This elegant gold signet bears the young king’s throne name, Nebkheperure, identifying him as the earthly manifestation of the sun-god Ra. Each tiny sign, crisply cut into the oval bezel, would have impressed the royal name into clay or wax, sealing decrees with divine authority. When you look closer, one sees the sun disc of...
Among the most personal treasures found within the Tomb of Tutankhamun, were his sandals; over eighty pairs of them, discovered neatly stored in a wooden trunk and immortalised in Harry Burton (1879-1940)’s evocative black-and-white photographs. As expected, several pairs were in remarkably delicate condition, and yet, through painstaking modern restoration, their splendour lives again. Some...
Carved in the glittering age of Amenhotep III, this finely carved acacia wooden figure captures the calm poise and refinement that defined Ancient Egyptian art at its most elegant. The man measures at 30.5 cm, and stands with his arms at his sides, clothed in a short-sleeved tunic and a pleated linen kilt whose layered...
This intimate limestone group captures three generations (or three male relatives) in quiet harmony. The two men and the boy are rendered in the distinctive style of the Amarna Period, with elongated heads and supple, naturalistic forms. Scholars have long debated their identity: are they a grandfather, father, and son united in familial devotion, or...
This finely carved limestone head depicts Akhenaten, the pharaoh who reshaped Ancient Egypt’s religion and art in devotion to the Aten, the radiant sun-disc. The king wears the blue war crown (khepresh), its smooth form contrasting with the sensitive modelling of his features. Traces of red pigment still tint the lips, lending warmth to the...
Rounded of belly, crocodile-tailed and lion-pawed, the goddess Taweret guarded childbirth and the nursery. Here her form is endowed with the features of Queen Tiye, great royal wife of Amenhotep III, weaving queenly authority into the most intimate sphere of protection. Such statuettes, small enough for chamber or chapel, were charms of presence, depicting the...
Among the innumerable treasures discovered within the tomb of Tutankhamun, none speak more tenderly of the Ancient Egyptian belief in the afterlife than his ushabtis; the small, spell-bound servants who would labour in eternity on behalf of their master. More than four hundred and fifteen of these figures were found within the Boy King’s tomb...
This luminous broad collar, fashioned from glazed composition, is a jewel of colour and meaning. Its three openwork rows bloom like the gardens of Amarna, with the upper ring bearing yellow mandrake fruits, beneath them unfurl green fronds of date palm, and below, a fringe of yellow, white, and mauve lotus petals. Between each pendant...
