The Ba is a part of a person’s non-physical spiritual nature. After death, the Ba might leave the tomb, but it had to return to the tomb on a regular basis to reconnect with the mummy. The Ba was frequently shown as a bird with a human head, and occasionally with human arms. This Ba...
This fragmentary limestone bust depicts the Royal Scribe, Méniou. Traces of pigment remain of black upon the wig, eyes and brows, giving this fragmentary piece a striking appearance, despite its disfigurement. Méniou wears an elaborate usekh collar and pleated linen tunic, indicating his status in society. His wig is shoulder-length and finely detailed with intricate...
The faces on most statues of Amenhotep II differ slightly from those of his two immediate predecessors. Compared with the sculpture of Thutmose III or Hatshepsut exhibited nearby, for example, this statue’s face is a little longer, the eyes somewhat narrower, the brows a bit straighter, the nose slightly thicker, and the mouth less curved....
Made from the wood from a sycamore fig tree, this painted statuette of a woman dates from the 18th Dynasty, c. 1427-1353 B.C. The woman depicted wears a beautiful linen white gown that is sleeveless on one side. This style of fashion was seemingly popular among the elite and royalty of the time, as we...
“The parts that are not there, the loss, give it even more power.”– Barry X Ball, American sculptor. The Artist Project, 2016. This fragmentary head of a queen dates from the Amarna period, and it likely depicts king Akhenaten’s mother Queen Tiye, however this is not certified, and it could in fact be a daughter...
This painter’s palette was carved from a single piece of ivory. Six oval wells contain cakes of pigments including blue, green, brown (?), yellow, red, and black. The oval cartouche at one end encircles the throne name of Amenhotep III, Neb-Ma’at-Re, and the epithet “beloved of Re.” This could mean the palette belonged to an...
The Victory Stele of Amenhotep III The stele, was erected to commemorate King Amenhotep III’s (c. 1391-1353 BC) triumph over his opponents. This part displays two concurrent scenarios, with the king standing in his horse-drawn chariot. Above him, the goddess Nekhbet extends her protective wings, symbolising life, stability, and dominion. A quiver of arrows hangs...
Painted limestone statuette of Tawaret. This figurine was donated to a woman named Taweret by her mother. She has one arm bent and a lotus bud in her uplifted hand, a gesture rarely seen in depictions of women. The lotus bud could refer to Taweret’s youth. This unopened bloom is rarely found in statues. As...
This small fragmentary head made from white limestone is clearly of the Amarna Period. During Akhenaten’s reign, royal portraiture witnessed significant changes., there are numerous sculptures of Akhenaten and his royal household which deviate from traditional depictions of the monarchy. Akhenaten is sometimes shown what some deem “androgynous” and highly stylized, with huge thighs, a...
Made of indurated limestone, this torso of Nefertiti was discovered in the remnants of the Sanctuary of the Great Aten Temple, possibly found within a pit just south of the temple, during the Petrie/Carter excavations, 1891–92. The statue would have been a part of a double statue depicting Nefertiti alongside her husband, king Akhenaten, making...
