Louvre Museum

Amulet of Hedgehog

Scaraboid Hedgehog Amulet

Scaraboid amulet of a cute little hedgehog. Hedgehogs were common on amulets in the New Kingdom (1500s–1000s BC) and can also be seen on the backs of seals and scaraboids. Although never very common, hedgehog amulets have a long history in ancient Egypt, with their popularity peaking in the New Kingdom. These amulets functioned as...

Head of King Djedefre

Head of King Djedefre

Quartzite head of King Djedefre from Abu Rawash. Djedefre was the son of King Khufu ruled Egypt for 8 years and built his pyramid in Abu Rawash area in the north of Giza. His name was written inside a royal cartouche and was the first king to take the title of ‘Son of Re’ that...

Scribe Ramose from Deir el-Medina. Musée du Louvre. E 16346

Scribe Ramose from Deir el-Medina

Scribe Ramose from Deir el-Medina New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, c. 1279-1213 B.C. Musée du Louvre. E 16346 This painted limestone figure of the Scribe Ramose, shows the Scribe with a beautifully detailed thick wig. His shoulders are adorned with the cartouches of Ramesses II, Thutmose IV and Horemheb. Ramose (scribe in the Place of truth,...

Princess Nefertiabet, as depicted on her stela, where she is seen receiving food offerings, titled as; "[the products of the] field".

Princess Nefertiabet; “King’s Daughter; 𓇓𓅭𓏏”

Princess Nefertiabet is most likely the daughter of king Khufu, and she is seen here depicted in a leopard or panther skin dress and choker style collar. Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty, c. 2600 B.C. Mastaba G 1225, Giza Plateau Musée du Louvre. E 15591 Nefertiabet is shown seated facing right. She is depicted with a...

Ushabti of King Ramesses IV

Ushabti of King Ramesses IV New Kingdom, 20th Dynasty, c. 1153-1147 B.C. Found within the tomb of Ramesses IV, Tomb KV2, Valley of the Kings Musée du Louvre. N 438 Despite the Harem Conspiracy (Judicial Papyrus of Turin) organised in hopes to place Prince Pentawer (a son of Ramesses III & his wife Tiye) on...

Mummified head of a woman from Thebes

Mummified head of a woman from Thebes

Mummified head of a woman (momie de femme), discovered at Thebes in 1799. She dates from between the New Kingdom Period and Late Period (when the last Native rulers of Ancient Egypt held power), c.1550 – 332 B.C. Musée du Louvre. E 3442 In ancient Egypt, it was common for individuals, both men and women,...

Cosmetic ibex kohl spoon

Cosmetic Ibex Kohl Spoon

Although its theme is natural, this kohl spoon is typically Egyptian: halfway between bas-relief and sculpture in the round, evoking an offering of game yet with the practical aspect of a spoon. There is no inscription on this piece, which was found in a tomb; its specific function and significance remain something of a mystery....

Pectoral bearing the name of Ramesses II

Pectoral bearing the name of Ramesses II

The pectoral bearing the throne name of Ramesses II written in a cartouche above what is already a dense composition. Two djed pillars fill in the lower corners of the rectangular frame; they symbolize stability and the rebirth of Osiris. Nekhbet and Wadjet, goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt, stand side by side within the...

Statuette of Lady Thuya

Thuya or Tjuyu was an Egyptian noblewoman and the mother of queen Tiye, and the wife of Yuya. She is the grandmother of Akhenaten, and great grandmother of Tutankhamun. The statuette of Thuya is carved from two species of wood that the Egyptians imported from the south – shea wood for the base, and African...

The Dendera Zodiac

The Dendera Zodiac is among the most celebrated and enigmatic artefacts of ancient Egyptian astronomy—a magnificent bas-relief carved into the sandstone ceiling of the pronaos (or entrance hall) of a chapel dedicated to Osiris, nestled within the grand Temple of Hathor at Dendera. What distinguishes this piece above all is its form: a circular planisphere,...