18th Dynasty

Aten cartouche

Aten Cartouche Amulet

Amulet in the shape of a cartouche. The glaze is a deep cobalt blue. Two holes at either end enter on the edge and exit on the back of the amulet near the edge. The cartouche is one of the two cartouches used for the Aten and is translated: Ra-Horakhty lives, rejoicing in the horizon....

Finger Ring depicting King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 26.7.767

Finger Ring of Akhenaten and Nefertiti

This gold ring of Akhenaten and Nefertiti was found at Tell el-Amarna. The hieroglyphs may be read as an ideogram. The two seated figures are probably Akhenaten (left) and Nefertiti (right) as the deities Shu (air as indicated by the feather he holds) and Tefnut (moisture). They were father and mother of the earth and...

Portrait of Queen Nefertiti

Portrait of Nefertiti

This relief portrait of Queen Nefertiti comes from a short end of a talatat, a limestone block of standardized size used during the Amarna Period in the building of the Aten temples at Karnak and Akhetaten. The standardized size and their small weight made construction more efficient. The term talatat is most likely derived from...

Carnelian Wadjet eye amulet

Carnelian Wadjet eye amulet

The symbolism of this wadjet eye amulet was one of the most pervasive and powerful in ancient Egypt. Combining a human eye with the stylized markings of a falcon’s, it represents the healed eye of the god Horus that was known as the “Sound One.” It was a symbol of recovery and regeneration. As amulet...

Head of Amenhotep III Wearing the Round Wig

Head of Amenhotep III Wearing the Round Wig

Although he must have been nearly 50 years old when this portrait was carved, in this head sculpture, King Amenhotep III appears more youthful than ever. Over a round, curly wig he wears a diadem with side streamers adorned with uraei or rearing cobras bearing sun disks on their heads. The stone quartzite was associated...

Mummy of Lady Rai

Mummy of Lady Rai

The mummy of Lady Rai is one of the oldest known mummies uncovered in Egypt. She was discovered in 1881 and researchers estimate that she was about 30 – 40 years old when she died around 1530 BC. From the writings left behind about Lady Rai, we know that she was the nursemaid to Queen...

Funerary Couch in the form of Mehit

Funerary Couch in the form of Mehit

This wooden bed is covered with gilded plaster designed to represent two elongated lionesses represent the goddess Mehit. According to the ancient Egyptian beliefs, Mehit was identified with Hathor, Sekhmet, and Isis and helped to cause the Nile flood when she was appeased. The eyes of these animals are inlaid with blue glass paste; the...

Plaque of Amenhotep III flanked by two uraei. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 30.8.334

Plaque of Amenhotep III flanked by two uraei

On this piece the uraeus cobra functions as the protector of the royal name, the name of king Amenhotep III “The Lord of Maat is Re” is in the center of the plaque. The top and center part of the inscription is written twice and the direction of the hieroglyphs was reversed. Only the very...

Limestone fragmentary stele with Akhenaten

Fragmentary stele of Akhenaten

In this stele, Akhenaten is slouched on a low-backed, cushioned chair with side struts in the form of the ancient royal symbol for the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, which is partly obscured by the long sash of his pleated kilt. The Aten disk was above him, in the center of the stele. The...

Discovery of the tomb of Kha and Merit at Deir el Medina

Discovery of the Tomb of Kha

After the discovery of the tomb of Kha by the Italian archaeologists, the Egyptian authorities insisted only on a small part of Kha’s finds so that a bronze lamp and its tall wooden support, breads, blocks of salt and 19 terracotta vases were retained by Egypt. All the rest of more than 500 items was...