18th Dynasty

Ceremonial Axe of King Ahmose I

Ceremonial Axe of Ahmose I

The ceremonial axe of King Ahmose I, founder of the 18th Dynasty, stands as a tribute to his victories and the liberation of Egypt from the Hyksos. This exquisite weapon is adorned with intricate scenes celebrating the king’s triumphs. Ahmose is depicted in the form of a sphinx, symbolising his strength and divine authority. Above...

Opening of the Mouth Ceremony of Tutankhamun

Opening of the Mouth Ceremony of Tutankhamun

This scene is unique in its nature. We never witnessed an heir or a successor performing the ritual of the Opening of the Mouth Ceremony on the deceased King. The scene from the north wall of the burial chamber in the Tomb of Tutankhamun shows the brown “freckling” of the paintings that may have resulted...

Kneeling statue of Hatshepsut making an offering of Nu vases

Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut

In this statue, Hatshepsut is kneeling and making an offering of Nu vases. From her mortuary temple in Deir el-Bahari, West Thebes. By making this offering, Hatshepsut affirms that Maat is the guiding principal of her reign. Hatshepsut, also spelled Hatshepsut, female king of Egypt who attained unprecedented power for a woman, adopting the full...

Axe with Kha monogram

Axe with Kha monogram

This bronze Axe with the monogram of Kha is incised on the upper face of the blade. Some of the tools found in Kha’s funerary assemblage belong to the world of carpentry. An axe stands out among them. It has a wooden handle and a bronze blade, engraved with Kha’s monogram, attached by an elaborate...

Statue of Queen Iset. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 37417; CG 42072

Statue of Queen Iset

The Queen Iset or Isis, was the mother of King Thutmose III, second great royal wife of King Thutmose II. The Queen wears a large wig, with two uraeus at the forehead, the left one wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt and the right one wearing the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. The base...

Standing Statue of King Thutmose III

Standing Statue of Thutmose III

Beginnings… When Thutmose II, the reigning pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, died around 1479 B.C., he left behind a young son, Thutmose III, born of a secondary wife named Iset. Though Thutmose III was the legitimate heir, he was still a child, and the kingdom needed a strong regent to govern in his stead. Enter...

Statue of King Thutmose IV and his mother Tiaa

Statue of Thutmose IV and his mother Tiaa

In this seated statue of King Thutmose IV, he and his mother Tiaa are embracing each other. His mother was a secondary wife of his father Amenhotep II. Hieroglyphs on both sides of the chair give the names and titles for King Thutmose IV and his mother Tiaa. She was “the Great Royal Wife and...

Folding Cubit Rod of the architect Kha

Folding Cubit Rod of the architect Kha

The cubit rod of Kha folds in half with a simple bronze hinge at the center; there are absolutely no inscriptions. When Ernesto Schiaparelli discovered the rod, it was folded inside a leather bag with a strap. This extremely rare folding cubit rod was loved by Kha, who was the overseer of works in Deir...

Mummy of King Thutmose IV

Mummy of Thutmose IV

The mummy of Thutmose IV was found within the mummy cache of (KV35) in 1898 by Victor Loret. The body of the king was moved in antiquity by ancient priests for safety reasons. The king was originally buried within his own tomb (KV43), which was discovered by Howard Carter in 1903. His body was rewrapped...

Mummy of a Baboon

Mummy of a Baboon

This baboon mummy is seated with its knees drawn up to its chest, and its tail curving around the right side of its body. Excavated by Mr. Theodore M. Davis in 1906 from Tomb (KV51) near the Tomb of Amenhotep II (KV35). The monkey appears to have been mummified through an enlarged cut in the...