5th Dynasty

Statue of Snofru-nefer

Statue of Snofru-nefer, a court official

The statue of Snofru-nefer is a prime example for demonstrating the fundamental principles of the Egyptian sculptor. He was the principal singer and the overseer of amusements at the royal court. The upright posture and the positioning of the arms at a straight angle with the shoulders demonstrate the strict adherence to straight angles. The...

Painted wooden statue of Metjetji

Statue of Metjetji

With titles such as, “Overseer of the Bureau of Tentantry of the Court“, “Overseer of the Office of the Palace of Tenants”, “Liege of the King of the Great Palace”, Metjetji was clearly a wealthy man of elite status. It is believed he worked directly with the king and possibly played an important role in...

Old Kingdom Statue of Raherka and Meresankh

Painted limestone statue of Raherka and Meresankh. Raherka held high administrative responsibilities. He was an “inspector of scribes of the jackal”. Meresankh’s title was “King’s acquaintance”, which means she had access to the royal palace. The couple is known from their beautiful pair-statue, which is an example of portraiture in Ancient Egypt. The statue is...

Statue of dwarf Khnumhotep

Dwarf Khnumhotep

Limestone statue of the dwarf Khnumhotep, “Overseer of Ka-priests”, and dancer at the funeral of the Sacred Bulls.Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty, c. 2350–2170 B.C.Saqqara. Khnumhotep, the priest and overseer of the royal wardrobe, was an Egyptian dwarf who suffered from physical deformity. He is represented with his torso exaggeratedly large in proportion to his short...

Triad statue of Ni-ka-re (Nykara), Inspector of the Scribes of the Granary, and his family.

Triad statue of Ni-ka-re (Nykara)

In this Old Kingdom, Late 5th Dynasty, triad statue, dating from approximately 2455-2350 B.C., we see an Ancient Egyptian style family portrait of a man called Ni-ka-re (Nykara), his wife Ni-ka.w-nb (.w) and their son Ankh-ma-re. Such statues were often placed in tombs for offerings to be received, yet they were also placed within households...

Pair statue of Ptahkhenuwy and his wife

Pair statue of Ptahkhenuwy and his wife

The pair statue is identified by an inscription painted on the base in black paint as Ptahkhenuwy, supervisor of palace retainers. Private sculpture of the Old Kingdom copied royal sculpture: the poses, youthful body forms, and the wife’s embrace of the husband in this private sculpture is the same as those of King Menkaure and...

Statue of Ranefer

Statue of Ranefer

The statue depicts Ranefer, standing and is wearing an overlapped kilt of medium length. His hair was cut short and the eyes are painted. This splendid statue was found together with another statue, almost identical, in two niches in the chapel at his tomb at Saqqara. This one shows him in an old age while...

Relief shows a Syrian tribute in the form of bears and a vessel

Relief of bears and jar tribute from the Levant

The bears and the jar holding oil represented on this relief exemplify the exotic animals and precious goods among the Near Eastern booty. Territorial conquest was not the aim of these enterprises; rather it was the acquisition of raw materials, animals, and sometimes people.) Shown under the northern courtyard portico was booty from the Levant....

Statue of Kai

Statue of Kai

The statue shows Kai sitting on a high-backed chair. He wears a shoulder length wig, decorated with horizontal rows of curls. Each eye is framed in copper, while his eyebrows are in raised relief. The lips are thin and finely drawn. Below, he wears Usekh or Wesekh (broad) collar, composed of seven horizontal bands of...

Figurine of a Woman Making Beer

Statuette of a Woman Making Beer

This lively statuette of a woman is presented in the act of making beer, kneading dough in a strainer over a large jar. The woman is wearing only a close-fitting, medium-length white skirt and a necklace. The pale blue shape of which can be clearly seen around her neck. Her hair is covered by a...