Inscribed with the title of “Royal acquaintance”, this double statuette depicts a married couple, Nen-Kheft-Ka and his wife Nefer-Shemes. Nen-Kheft-Ka was the mayor of his town, and this statue was discovered within his mastaba, rock-cut tomb at Deshasheh. Made of limestone, the statue is delicately carved in traditional style of the Old Kingdom period. The...
This green-glazed composition vessel depicts the dwarf god Bes on one side and a circular display of varied animals, including a lion, ibexes, antelopes, deer and fowl on the back. One of the animals in the circle seemingly looks like a camel, but it is uncertain. Purchased by Dr Erich Cassirer and residing in the...
This limestone fragment from a statue of a woman was found in the remnants of the Temple of Mentuhotep II, at Deir el-Bahari. At 26.50cm tall, unfortunately, her lower body and right arm are missing. She was discovered among other statues, known as “votive statues”, during an excavation of the Temple of Menuthotep II. It...
Within the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, there is a rather strange thing that doesn’t get much attention. It is what appears to be a true to life plaster cast death mask. This is not a mask made by an artist to represent a godlike image of the deceased, but an actual cast of the face....
The first man carries rings of gold, while the second man carries an Ebony log upon his shoulder and a giraffe’s tail in his other hand. The third man has a monkey perched upon his shoulder as he carries a bowl filled with chunks of jasper and a leopard skin. Nubians offering tribute of gold...
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...
This string of glazed composition beads; with various colours and forms, including grapes and daisies, dates from the 18th Dynasty of Pharaonic Egypt. It is 32.5cm in length and was purchased from Hon Richard Bethell and acquired by the British Museum (EA57886) in 1925. The striking colours of both the amulets and the beadwork of...
This doubled seated painted limestone statue depicts the overseer Mahu, who is titled with “Overseer of the work of Amun at Karnak” and his wife Duat, who was a priestess with the title “Priestess of Amun-Ra and Hathor“. Due to their titles it is to be believed the pair were from Thebes, and thus, it...
This seated double statuette, made from painted limestone, is 28cm tall and depicts an Ancient Egyptian couple dating from the middle of the 18th Dynasty. Unfortunately, the piece is uninscribed, despite the sides having “scalloped motifs, edged on two sides with a decorative border of rectangles.” The piece is in typical Ancient Egyptian fashion, showcasing...
This head of a ushabti represents king Seti I of Ancient Egypt’s 19th Dynasty, c. 1294-1279 B.C and was discovered within the king’s tomb. The head measures at 5.77cm tall and 7.75cm wide. A composition of blue glaze, this head of Seti I showcases the king wearing the Ancient Egyptian “nemes” stripped royal headdress. The...
