By the time this portrait was made, in the later years of his reign, c. 1360–1355 B.C., Amenhotep III stood at the summit of nearly every earthly achievement. Egypt was wealthy, peaceful, and gloriously adorned. He had completed or embellished a constellation of temples from Soleb in distant Nubia to Luxor on the east bank...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
This block of crystalline limestone once graced the railing of a stairway in a temple of the god Aten. It is in the form of a double cartouche, which usually enclosed the name of the king. In this relief instead, the cartouches contain the names of the sun disk Aten, the one god of king...
The stool of Tutankhamun is made of wood and covered in gold leaf, showcasing the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient Egyptian artisans. The elements of the stool are joined to each other with copper pins. The chair’s legs were modeled to look like the legs of a lion. The lion held a privileged status in ancient...
A limestone lintel from the Temple of Amun-Re at Karnak depicts the deified King Amenhotep I, shown wearing the headdress of the god Amun-Re. Shown here a remain of a wall that has a niche that probably housed a statue. It’s topped by the Egyptian cavetto cornice and we can see the Niswt Bity title...
Carved in sunk relief upon limestone, this tender scene depicts Nefertiti gently kissing one of her daughters, whose small arm affectionately encircles her mother. To the right, three vertical columns of hieroglyphs have suffered mutilation, while above, a single ray of the Aten extends downwards, clasping an ankh, the symbol of life. The artists have...
