The goddess Sekhmet, “the powerful one,” sits on a throne with a low back rest. Atop her leonine head there is a sun disk with uraeus serpent. Her woman’s body is clothed in a form-fitting dress with shoulder straps, and she wears a collar-like necklace, bracelets, and anklets. In her left hand Sekhmet holds the...
This is a masterpiece of pectoral from the collection of Tutankhamun. It is a pectoral decorated in a complex way: the central part of the pectoral which represents the throne name (or prenomen) of the king, Nebkheperure, consists in the middle of a large lapis lazuli scarab. Below it is the hieroglyphic sign “neb”, which...
This beautiful winged scarab pectoral illustrates the throne name of King Tutankhamun, “Neb- khepreu-re.” The central element is the scarab “Khepri” made of a fine piece of lapis lazuli, and three strokes of plural “sign in hieroglyphs” below it. Between the forelegs of the scarab, the risen sun disk “Re” is depicted. The pectoral is...
It might sound fanciful to suggest that Tutankhamun was especially fond of ducks, yet the evidence from his tomb offers some intriguing hints. Among the many spectacular artefacts found in his burial (jewellery, chariots, furniture, and more) there exist a few duck-themed items (or items associated with waterfowl) that invite speculation about their symbolic or...
Ostracon of a cat, standing on its hind legs, acts as guide and protector to a flock of six ducks or geese, arranged in two registers, or sections. The ostracon shows a cheerful episode from an Egyptian folktale. In this tale the roles of the natural world are reversed. Above the birds is a nest...
This unfinished limestone statue of King Akhenaten kissing his daughter is of high artistic quality. It was discovered in a sculptor’s atelier, or workshop, at Tell el-Amarna. It depicts King Akhenaten supporting on his knee one of his daughters, probably Meritaten. Akhenaten sits on a stool wearing a short-sleeved tunic and the Blue Khepresh Crown...
In this nearly life-size statue made of white limestone, Horemheb is seated on the right side of Horus, who places his right arm around the king’s waist. The god’s left hand is holding the sign of life. The two figures greatly resemble each other. Both have bare upper bodies and wear the shendyt kilt and...
This cosmetic vase in the form of fish was found in a medium-sized private house at Tell el-Amarna, buried under a plaster floor together with two glass jugs and some metal objects. It is the most spectacular of a small group of fish-form vessels, all representing the ‘bulti’-fish common in the Nile and a standard...
The frog ring is made of Egyptian blue, which was a vibrant blue pigment, considered to be the first synthetically-produced pigment, composed of quartz sand, a copper compound, and calcium carbonate. The color blue was highly prized in ancient Egypt and the creation of a synthetic pigment allowed artists to produce imitations of the precious...
This small, painted votive statue depicts King Akhenaten and his Great Wife Nefertiti. The king and queen are shown hand in hand (a notedly unusual pose in New Kingdom artwork), as if walking forward together. They stand quite far apart, entirely unbending as they stare straight ahead, without the ghost of a smile. They are...
