Khufu

Prince Ankhhaf. Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition. 27.442

Bust of Prince Ankhhaf

Prince Ankhhaf was the son of an Old Kingdom king, most probably king Sneferu, making Ankhhaf the brother of king Khufu. This bust made of a limestone core and painted plastered covering was discovered within the Mastaba of Ankhhaf, at the Great Eastern Cemetery in Giza. It dates from approximately, 2520–2494 B.C. It is thought...

Hetepheres II and daughter Meresankh III

Double Mastaba of Meresankh III, G7530-40 (originally built for Hetepheres II), Giza Necropolis. Hetepheres II is the daughter of King Khufu, her daughter Meresankh III is granddaughter to Khufu and the wife of King Khafre. “Her mother, beholder of Horus and Seth, the great favourite, the controller of the butchers of the house of the...

Hetepheres II and daughter Meresankh III

The deceased Queen Meresankh and her mother Hetepheres sailing in the marshes to gather papyrus reeds for the ritual of ‘shaking the papyrus’ to induce the goddess Hathor to them: “Her mother, daughter of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Khufu, the great favourite, Hetep-heres. Her beloved daughter, the beholder of Horus and Seth,...

Meresankh, granddaughter of Khufu

“The king’s daughter of his body, the beholder of Horus and Seth, companion of Horus, Meresankh.” Queen Meresankh III was the daughter of Hetepheres II and the granddaughter of the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid. Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty, tomb of Meresankh, G 7530-40.

Statuette of King Khufu

Statuette of King Khufu

The Khufu Statuette or the Ivory figurine of Khufu is an ancient Egyptian statue. Historically and archaeologically significant, it was found in 1903 by Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie during excavation of Kom el-Sultan in Abydos. Despite the discovery of a few other small fragments of the king’s statues and statuettes, this ivory statuette is...

Magic knife (peseshkef) inscribed for King Khufu

Magic knife (peseshkef) inscribed for King Khufu

The peseshkef was a disntictive type of knife that was split at one end and is sometimes called a “fishtail” knife today. This fine-grained flint wand is inscribed with the name of Khufu. Ritual wands were used in the Opening of the Mouth Ceremony to allow the deceased to eat and drink once more; this...

Head of King Khufu

Colossal head possibly of King Khufu, who became Egypt’s best known pyramid builder, responsible for the Great Pyramid at Giza. Granite is extremely hard, but the sculptor of this statue was able to give the king’s plump face and small features a softly natural quality, perhaps suggesting the subject’s actual appearance rather than an idealized...