Gold

King of Egypt as a lion subduing the head of a Nubian

This piece, fashioned from Egyptian Blue and gold, presents a striking image of the head of a Nubian man engulfed by the jaws of a lion. Though compact in scale, the piece is monumental in its ideological intent. Most likely the terminal of a ceremonial fly whisk or whip, the handle is more than decorative;...

Gazelle & Stag Diadem

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...

Jewellery chest of Sithathoryunet

Nestled within the esteemed halls of The Metropolitan Museum of Art resides a resplendent artefact from Ancient Egypt: the jewellery chest of Princess Sithathoryunet. Crafted during the Middle Kingdom, specifically the 12th Dynasty (c.1887–1813 B.C.), this exquisite chest exemplifies the opulence and artistry of its era. Discovered in a concealed niche within Sithathoryunet’s tomb near...

The Mummy with the Golden Tongue

The Mummy with the Golden Tongue

In 2021, archaeologists in Egypt made a fascinating discovery—a 2,500-year-old mummy with a golden tongue. Found at the Taposiris Magna temple near Alexandria, this remarkable find is believed to be linked to ancient burial rituals aimed at ensuring the deceased could speak in the afterlife. The Mummy with the Golden Tongue was discovered in early...

Silver seated falcon

This is a solid-cast silver statuette of a falcon headed deity with a plaited wig inlaid with lapis lazuli. The figure almost definitely would have been used as a cult statue and was originally covered in sheet gold, some of which still remains. Hieroglyphic texts and temple reliefs show that the ancient Egyptians included divine...

Golden Ram’s-head Amulet

This golden Ram’s-head amulet was probably made for a necklace worn by one of the Kushite kings. Representations show these pharaohs wearing a ram’s-head amulet tied around the neck on a thick cord, the ends of which fall forward over the shoulders. Sometimes a smaller ram’s head is attached to each end. Rams were associated...

Coffin of Nubkheperre Intef

Nubkheperre Intef VI (also known as Antef, Inyotef, and Intef VI) was an Egyptian monarch of the Seventeenth Dynasty of Egypt who reigned in Thebes during the Second Intermediate Period, when Egypt was divided into rival dynasties, including the Hyksos in Lower Egypt. Nubkheperre Intef’s tomb was eventually discovered by early Egyptologists about 1881, but...

gold medallion of Caracalla

Gold medallion of Caracalla

This gold medallion of the Roman Emperor Caracalla, was found in Abu Qir, Egypt, and dates from, c. 215-243 A.D. It is one of 20 medallions found within a hoard in Abu Qir, Egypt. One of the medallion’s is marked with “Olympic Games of the year 274”, which could mean that these were medallions given...

Gold and enamel earring with Hathor and rosette Meroë, Nubia (Kushite region), c. 90 B.C. –50 A.D. Boston Museum of Fine Arts. 23.341

Golden Hathor earring found in Meroë

This golden earring depicting the Ancient Egyptian goddess Hathor was discovered in the location of the ancient city of Meroë, capital of the Kingdom of Kush for several centuries from around 590 B.C., until its collapse in the 4th century A.D. The golden Hathor earring would have been a representation of the goddess and may...

golden scarab dates from approximately 1980–1801 B.C., during the Middle Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt

Middle Kingdom Scarab

This golden scarab dates from approximately 1980–1801 B.C., during the Middle Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt. It was purchased from Mohammed Mohasseb and Son, in Luxor, by Lucy Olcott Perkins through Henry W. Kent and now resides at the Cleveland Museum of Art. It is 1.1 cm and weighs 1.6 g (0.06 oz.). The scarab...