This seated statue of the administrator Kai was discovered in November of 1850, at the Memphite Necropolis. The Memphite Necropolis (or Pyramid Fields) is a series of ancient Egyptian funerary complexes occupying a 30-kilometer (19 mi) stretch on the Western Desert plateau in the vicinity of the ancient capital of Memphis, Lower Egypt, today in...
This seated limestone family portrait depicts a husband, wife and son. It dates from the 4th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom, c. 2620-2500 B.C. The piece stands at 78cm tall and 48cm wide. It was once painted and traces of the paint still remains, including black, red and yellow pigments. It was discovered by...
This graywicke figurine showcases the crown prince Thutmose, son of Amenhotep III & his Great Royal Wife, Tiye, grinding grain. The figure dates from around 1390 -1352 B.C., during the reign of his father Amenhotep III. Prince Thutmose served as a priest of Ptah in ancient Memphis. His full royal titles were “Crown Prince, Overseer...
This vibrant purple amethyst scarab beetle is said to be found in Tomb IV at Jebail in Lebanon, according to Montet 1928. However, it is impossible to establish the exact provenance of this beetle (cf. Martin 1996). The scarab is beautifully inscribed on its back with name ‘Impy’ and hieroglyphic signs including ka sign, nefer and lotus sign.
This figure of a woman in a shawl is dated between 3100 -2700 B.C. She stands 13.5cm high, and is a finely carved from a piece of Hippopotamus ivory. Hippopotamus ivory is harder than elephant ivory and is much more difficult to carve. The woman depicted, with hair parted in the middle, stares forth with...
This statue of a man called Keki, believed to be a courtier in Ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom, is a wonderful example of Old Kingdom craftsmanship and fashion. The pencil moustache was seemingly popular among those elite and rich enough to have statues of such quality made of themselves, as the facial hair appears quite often,...
The spectacular “Asyut Dog” is a large limestone statue of what may be a dog, a wolf or a golden jackal – the latter is the most likely. The statue is thought to come from the area surrounding the city of Asyut in Middle Egypt, and more specifically from the vicinity of its sacred animal...
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...
Sepa was a priest who lived during the 3rd Dynasty of Ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom (c. 2700-2620 B.C.) With titles such as, “Responsible for Royal Matters”, “Greatest of the ten of Upper Egypt”, “Priest of the god Kherty” and “Herdsman of the White Bull”, Sepa was clearly a man of status and importance within society,...
This cosmetic vase contains the names of King Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye. It is possible that it originally contained some kind of expensive cosmetic, possibly kohl, oil, or perfume. The vessel’s shape imitates a bag or a sack. It was a popular shape during the 18th Dynasty in pottery, stone, painted wood (to imitate...
