This delicate conical vessel, carved from translucent quartz crystal, dates to the reign of Khufu during Egypt’s Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4 (2551–2528 B.C.). Measuring a mere 4.2 cm in height and 4.3 cm in diameter, the cup bears a small nick along its rim and traces of yellow-brown staining upon its side and base, the...
Nestled within a specially designed museum at the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the so-called Khufu ship, more accurately known as the Solar Boat, is one of the most extraordinary archaeological survivals of the ancient world. Discovered in 1954, buried in a sealed limestone pit near the pyramid’s southern face, this full-sized cedar...
The fragment of a head of king Khafre, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, once belonged to a statue that likely stood in one of the king’s grand temple complexes at Giza. Most probably, it was part of a seated or standing figure placed within the valley temple, mortuary temple, or possibly along the...
The tomb of Nefermaat and his wife Itet, located at Meidum, stands as one of the most significant examples of early Old Kingdom funerary art. Nefermaat, son of Sneferu and a powerful figure in his own right, held numerous prestigious titles, including Overseer of Works and Vizier. His tomb, known to Egyptologists as Mastaba 16,...
At an imposing height of nearly 2.35 metres (8 feet), this magnificent travertine (Egyptian Alabaster) statue depicts king Menkaure, the illustrious builder of the smallest Pyramid at Giza, seated in a pose of serene dignity and regal authority. Unearthed in 1909 by the Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition from the ruins of Menkaure’s...
King Menkaure, the illustrious pharaoh of Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty, reigned during the mid-26th century B.C., leaving an enduring legacy of majesty and refinement. Best known for his resplendent pyramid at Giza—smaller yet more exquisitely crafted than those of his predecessors—Menkaure was a sovereign of both might and measured grace. His reign is immortalised through sublime...
Khuenre (Khuenra) was a fourth-dynasty Egyptian prince. He was the son of king Menkaure and his sister, Queen Khamerernebty II. He was the grandson of Khafre and Khamerernebty I, and the great-grandfather of Khufu, the monarch who erected the Great Pyramid of Giza. Furthermore, he worked as a secretary and held the title, “sole companion...
This piece was discovered at Giza, and the inscription indicates that two persons are depicted, a woman named Mertites (who is depicted twice) and a boy named Chennoe (also sometimes written as Shenoe). The relationship between Mertites and Chennoe is not documented upon the piece, however, it is more than likely that they are mother...
Irukakhufu was an Old Kingdom man who held many titles including, “Royal Acquaintance“, “(Royal) Wab-Priest” and “Overseer of the Pyramid-town of Khufu“. Discovered within the serdab of tomb at the Western Cemetery in Giza, known as Lepsius 21, the statue depicts a man in scribe form, who is believed to be Irukakhufu. Two large offering...
“King’s Son of his Body”“Chief Justice”“Greatest of the Five of the House of Thoth” Prince Hemiunu was the son of Nefertmaat and Itet, grandson of king Sneferu, and nephew of king Khufu. Therefore, it is safe to say that Hemiunu, was a man at the centre of Egypt’s pyramid age. As well as the grand...
