The Late Period was an age of revival and resilience. Egypt, long assailed by foreign powers, turned back to its roots, drawing upon the splendours of Old and Middle Kingdom traditions while also glancing outward to the new world of Greece. This sculpture captures that delicate balance. Images of private women were rarely granted permanence...
This intricately cut copper alloy relief, dated stylistically to the 25th–26th Dynasties (c. 760–526 B.C.), portrays a Nubian male in a loincloth, carrying a basket, with a monkey perched on his shoulder. Its flat back and low thickness (0.8 cm) suggest it was designed to be affixed to a flat surface, such as a wooden...
Donated to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts by Evelyn M. Pope in memory of her husband, Edward J. Pope, this bronze statue of a fish, adorned with the horned sun-disc crown typically associated with Isis or Hathor, features glass-inlaid eyes and represents the sacred fish linked to the myth of Osiris. The piece is...
The sarcophagus of Harkhebit exhibits typical Memphite craftsmanship, characterized by a plump, squarish face, a smooth, unarticulated body, and slightly protruding feet. The body is inscribed with sunk-relief hieroglyphs, including passages from the Book of the Dead. The interior carvings were left rough, possibly intended for painting, perhaps in green. Harkhebit held several esteemed titles,...
This statue represents Anubis, god of mummification and the afterlife, typically depicted with a jackal head. In this piece, Anubis is shown in a traditional form, with a jackal head, standing in a protective and authoritative pose. The statue was dedicated by a high-ranking official named Padihorpakhered, whose name is inscribed on the statue. He...
This reliquary is notable for its design, with a base adorned with four lion protomes (the head and upper part of the body of the lion). These lion elements reflect the artistic traditions of the period and were likely included for symbolic reasons, as lions were often associated with strength, protection, and royalty in ancient...
The Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol that represents protection, health, and restoration. It’s often associated with the god Horus, who was depicted as a falcon or a man with the head of a falcon. According to Egyptian mythology, Horus lost his eye in a battle with his uncle Seth, but it was...
Black siltstone base and lid of the anthropoid sarcophagus of Sasobek, northern vizier of Egypt during the reign of Psamtik I: the lid is finely carved, showing the deceased wearing wig, beard and collar and with two vertical registers of hieroglyphic offering texts, surmounted by a figure of Nut. “It may have been found in...
Sistrophorus block statue, showing Harsomtusemhat sitting on a socle, with his legs grouped and the hands on his knees. Before the arms and between the legs, the man is holding the sesheshet sistrum, with the face of the goddess Hathor and the monumental gate in raised relief. This statue was meant to be placed inside...
The inscription on the base of this statuette of the official Bes reads ‘Count and Prince, Companion of His Majesty’. Bes is portrayed sitting in a position that was widely used in the Old Kingdom (c. 2660–2180 BC), at the beginning of the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BC) and again by the officials, including this...
