This delicate Middle Kingdom limestone figurine (E 8000), dating from approximately 2035–1680 B.C., depicts a nude woman standing with truncated legs, wearing a tripartite wig, a cowrie shell belt, and a broad necklace, while tenderly carrying a small child. The figure’s soft curves, subtle modelling, and the inclusion of symbolic jewellery;particularly the cowrie shell belt,...
This finely carved sandstone group statue, dating from the 12th Dynasty of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom (c. 1981–1802 B.C.), portrays Senbebu, an Overseer of Stonemasons, seated prominently between two women. The figure to his left is likely his wife, Abetib, while the woman to his right is named Peryt. Senbebu held a distinguished title that indicates...
A model domestic figure is a small, carved representation of a person (often crafted from wood and painted) that was placed in Ancient Egyptian tombs to symbolise aspects of daily life. These figures typically depict servants, labourers, or household workers engaged in domestic or agricultural tasks such as grinding grain, baking bread, brewing beer, carrying...
The Seated Statue of the Steward Sehetepibreankh is a notable example of Middle Kingdom Egyptian sculpture, dating to approximately 1919–1885 B.C. during the reign of Amenemhat II. This limestone statue was excavated in 1923–24 from Pit 6L.P19 in the tomb of Sehetepibreankh at Lisht South, located in the Memphite region of Egypt. The statue exemplifies...
This head was part of a statue, carved from sandstone, of king Mentuhotep II, the unifier of Egypt, at the end of the so-called First Intermediate Period, at the end of the third millennium BC., and whose name is written on the back supporting pillar. The face is painted dark red to render the idea...
The sculpture depicts a young woman of Nubian descent, adorned with a brightly patterned skirt, a necklace, anklets, and a headband. She is believed to represent an attendant of one of the Hathor priestesses or royal wives at the court of Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II. Similar figures were found in the same tomb, suggesting that they...
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...
This statuette, fashioned from an arsenical copper alloy, portrays the noblewoman and princess Sebeknakht in the intimate act of nursing her infant son. Adorned with a diadem crowned by a regal uraeus, she is gracefully depicted in a crouched position, her left arm and bent knee tenderly supporting the child as he feeds. The infant,...
The Semna Boundary Stela of Senwosret III holds one of the most significant inscriptions from Ancient Egypt’s Middle Kingdom. It stands as a powerful testament to the king’s military dominance and nationalistic ideology. Discovered at the Semna fortress, located in Nubia near the Second Cataract of the Nile, the stela served both as a territorial...
This quartzite statue represents the priest Horwedjau, its surface adorned with an inscription that entreats the priests of the Temple at Coptos (Koptos) to offer invocations during various festivals, ensuring the well-being of his Ka. Though the statue’s head is missing, and its feet and base have been restored, its form—a block statue—remains significant. This...
