This finely carved antelope’s head, once affixed to the prow of a sacred ceremonial boat, hails from the hushed sanctuaries of an Egyptian temple. Hewn from hard stone (perhaps diorite or greywacke) it would have adorned a ritual barque, gliding not upon the Nile but along the sacred imaginations of the priests who summoned the...
Painted upon a modest shard of limestone (known as an ostracon) this whimsical yet charming sketch from the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1069 B.C.) captures a lively monkey mid-climb as it scales the familiar forked trunk of a doum-palm tree. Measuring just 11 by 9.7 centimetres, the piece, though small, radiates the playful curiosity and natural...
Few creatures captivate the imagination quite like the cat. From the earliest days along the Nile’s fertile banks, the Ancient Egyptians observed the elegance, agility, and protective instincts of wild cats that prowled the granaries and fields. Over time, these graceful hunters became more than companions, they evolved into powerful symbols of fertility, domestic harmony,...
Carved from resilient silicified sandstone and rising to a height of 17 cm, this finely sculpted bull statuette stands as a testament to the enduring reverence of bovine symbolism in Ancient Egyptian culture. With dimensions of 8 cm in width and 26.5 cm in depth, and a sturdy weight of 4.06 kg, the piece exudes...
This mummy of a juvenile dog was discovered in the necropolis of Asyut during Ernesto Schiaparelli’s excavation between 1910 and 1912. Now housed in Cabinet 51 of Room 11 at the Egyptian Museum of Turin (Museo Egizio. Suppl. 11005), the animal’s form is modest in scale, measuring 28 by 44 centimetres, yet richly evocative of...
This gazelle figurine, made from the ivory of an elephant and now housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art (26.7.1292), dates to the reign of Amenhotep III of the New Kingdom, c. 1390–1352 B.C. Carved from elephant ivory, this delicate sculpture stands alert on a wooden pedestal adorned with inlaid blue pigment, depicting flora evocative...
Fashioned from thin, pliable gold, most likely hammered and cut with extraordinary care; this diadem features a tender procession of gazelle heads flanking a stag, all elegantly placed amid a rhythmic pattern of starbursts or stylised flowers. The design is simultaneously minimal and symbolic, capturing the Ancient Egyptian delight in naturalistic beauty and the divine...
This handle likely belonged to a whip or perhaps a fly whisk. Intricately carved from a piece of ivory, it takes the form of a galloping horse. The ivory is stained reddish-brown pigment, with a painted black mane. A wonderful addition is the featuring of garnet inlays for the eyes—one of which is now missing,...
Striding leopard from the tomb of king Thutmose IV The figure is made of six pieces of wood put together – the body, four legs, and the tail – and has two rectangular mortises on its back for the insertion of tenons. Originally, the piece would have featured inlaid eyes, which have since been lost....
Carved and delicately painted, this limestone figurine showcases a mother dog nursing her five pups. Upon a vibrant yellow backdrop, the mother dog is collared and her lead/leash cascades to the floor in a decorative spiral. Her teets are depicted 2-dimensional against the raised limestone 3-dimensional effect of the pups and mother herself. Her face...
