This stele was dedicated by artisan Bay to Amun-Re and comes from the workers’ village of Deir el-Medina. It still retains its vivid colors, in particular the three pairs of ears painted blue, yellow, and green on the left side. These represent the ears of the god that “listens to prayers”. This form of Amun-Re...
This ostracon (British Museum. EA8505) was discovered in Deir el-Medina, the site of the famed Worker’s Village (Set Ma’at). The Worker’s Village housed the workmen and their families employed to construct nearby royal and aristocratic tombs. It is officially classified as a heritage site due to the large number of archaeological discoveries left by the...
Originally described as a ‘linen belt’ but since at least 1913 it has been called the ‘Ramesses Girdle’. Paintings of Ramesses III show him wearing similar long lengths of cloth wrapped several times around the chest in a herringbone fashion, like a girdle, before being fastened around the waist. Cartouches of Ramesses III were inscribed...
This glazed tile of a Nubian is from the remnants of a palace built by Ramesses III in Tell el-Yahudiyeh. This tile is only surviving in shards and has lost most of its former colour and gloss. Tell el Yahudiyeh is a city in Egypt’s Eastern Delta. The site has remnants dating from the Second...
An Egyptian wood painted ushabti for lady Anhai, the chantress of Amun. There is a scene in the Book of the Dead where Anubis is found weighing the heart of a priestess named lady Anhai. The image is striking because it shows the young Anhai as she is being led to the afterworld even though...
This colourful fragment comes from the tomb of the foreman Inherkhau (TT359), at Deir el-Medina. Inherkhau held the title, “Foreman of the Lord of the Two Lands in the Place of Truth“, and worked under the reigns of king Ramesses III and Ramesses IV. The piece shows Inherkhau alongside his son Kenna. Kenna is noticed...
This ostracon depicting a lively scene of a Ramesside pharaoh hunting wild animals with a spear, was given to the Earl of Carnarvon during a division of finds, after excavations conducted by Howard Carter in 1920. It was discovered within the Valley of the Kings, among debris near the entrance of what would be the...
The Scribe of the Place of Truth, Amennakht (New Kingdom, 20th Dynasty, c. 1170 B.C.) kneels before the goddess Meretseger, “She who loves silence”. Amennakht, is in praise of Meretseger who sits before him on a throne of red, blue and orange. She is wearing a red dress and a cuff on her upper left...
This beautifully painted limestone head of a woman came from a tomb chapel niche dating from the Ramesside era, c. 1250–1070 B.C., 19th-20th Dynasty. Not a singular statue, this Noblewoman would have been accompanying her husband, this statue would have represented the pair at their best; see her elaborate wig, lotus adorned headband and perfect...
A detail of a wall painting depicts Ameneminet presents a libation offering to Amenhotep III & Queen Tiye. Ameneminet was an Ancient Egyptian priest, who worked in dedication to the deity Ptah-Sokar, at Amenhotep III’s Temple of Millions of Years. Ritual Libation in Ancient Egypt Ritual libation was an important practice in ancient Egypt. It...
