This wig was found lying behind the head of Nauny’s mummy in her inner coffin. From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Deir el-Bahari, Tomb of Meritamun (TT 358, MMA 65), inside coffin, MMA excavations, 1928–29. The wig is made from plaits of human hair, which were fastened at the top with a cord. The hair was...
This fragment of a clay jug with the head of a smiling woman, would have been used as a pouring vessel, and was typical of the style of the 18th Dynasty, c. 1479–1352 B.C. It is thought such vessels would have been associated with motherhood, midwifery in particular. Usually, such vessels would be carved in...
Purchased in Cairo by Nicholas Tano in 1922, this Egyptian Alabaster goblet is formed and detailed in the shape of a lotus flower. Both the throne name, “Nefer-kheperu-Re, beloved of Re” and personal name of Amenhotep IV (later Akhenaten) are engraved on the side of the chalice, between two cartouches encircling the early titulary of...
In this relief Amenemhat I is shown celebrating his thirty-year jubilee (Sed Festival), ritually demonstrating that he was still vigorous and fit to rule. The king is flanked by the jackal-headed god Anubis and the falcon-headed Horus, deities closely associated with coronation rituals; each god offers him an ankh, the hieroglyph for life. To the...
With a board carved in the shape of an axe-blade, and resting upon legs shaped in the form of bull’s legs, this game of Hounds & Jackals also comes with a pull-out drawer to hold the pieces; 5 jackals and 5 hounds. This set of the game Hounds and Jackals was unearthed in 1910 by...
This stele is known in Egyptian art as a cippus (pl. cippi) or magical stele. The instructions found on some cippi indicate that they were used to heal afflictions caused by snake or scorpion venom. Specifically, Egyptians believed that the water poured over these cippi would be transformed into a curative remedy that the afflicted...
This limestone fragment was once a part of a full scene that appears to be depicting the king’s procession (almost certainly, king Akhenaten) as he arrived at the temple. On the far left of the fragment, you can see the elbow and arm of a trumpeter, who blows his horn as women in translucent linens...
A menat necklace was created out of a substantial keyhole-shaped counterpoise and an assortment of beaded strands. Despite its title of necklace, the menat necklace is seldom depicted being worn, but was most commonly carried by females engaging in sacred ceremonies and rituals. The necklace served as a percussion instrument, shaken to produce a calming...
This fragment of a statue base shows a Assyrian man’s head and shoulders. He wears a fringed robe embroidered with rosettes and has long hair and a headband. He also has a beard and a moustache, something that Assyrians were usually depicted with. The man’s complete figure was positioned flat on his belly, his back...
The Metternich stela belongs to a group of stelae known as the “Cippi of Horus” or ‘Stelae of Horus on the crocodiles’. The top half of this stela was skillfully carved in the hard dark stone. On the part below the central figure panel, rows of hieroglyphs record thirteen magic spells to protect against venomous...
