This limestone statuette features a husband, wife and their daughter together for eternity. It dates from the 18th Dynasty was was discovered in Thebes, possibly Deir el-Medina, but uncertain. It measures at 32 x 15.5 x 19.5 cm. The male is painted in traditional Egyptian red, he wears a shoulder length wig with a fringe,...
“everything that comes forth in the presence of the gods of Memphis for the Osiris, the lady Hel…”, “one who makes music for (her) lady”, This seated limestone statue of a woman, called Lady Hel, was seemingly made to be placed within a tomb chapel in Saqqara. We can tell this statue was intended for...
This limestone ostracon from the artisans village of Deir el-Medina (Egyptian: Set Ma’at = “The Place of Truth“), shows a beautifully intricate line drawing of the dwarf god Bes. The faint red pigmented lines, now orange, showcase the talent of the artists living within the worker’s village of Deir el-Medina. Likely a trial piece to...
This limestone statue of a man named Penmernabu holding a shrine was discovered at Deir el-Medina. Penmernabu’s shrine is surmounted by the head of a ram, an animal sacred and associated with the god Amun-Ra. The first datable remains of the village of Deir el-Medina (Set Ma’at) belong to the reign of Thutmose I (c....
This beautiful decorated wooden trunk was discovered within the famous tomb of the foreman Kha and his wife Merit, known as tomb TT8 at Deir el-Medina. Depicted within a painted scene, whose borders are adorned with decorative floral, zigzag and geometric designs, is the married couple Kha and Merit, receiving offerings of food, drink and...
The outer coffin of Hor belongs to the type known as “qeresu”, i.e., a rectangular box with small pillars, which made its appearance during the 25th Dynasty. It is a “cosmogram”, its vaulted lid representing the sky and the case the earthly realm of Osiris. Its iconography reflects this concept: a cordon of deities is...
Pay was a man who lived in the famous workers/artists village of Deir el-Medina, then known as Set Ma’at, which translates to “The Place of Truth”. Pay’s titles tell us that he worked as a draughtsman, a very important role in making sure that both the temples and tombs of the royals and elites of...
This limestone ostracon was discovered in the famous Workers Village of Deir el-Medina. Dating from approximately, 1292–1076 B.C., this piece was created within the 19th or 20th Dynasty. Deir el-Medina (Set Ma’at) was a workman’s village, which was state commissioned and owned. The artisans and architects who would design and build the tombs of the...
The functions of Qetesh in Egyptian religion are hard to determine due to lack of direct references, but her epithets (especially the default one, “lady of heaven”) might point at an astral character, and lack of presence in royal cult might mean that she was regarded as a protective goddess mostly by commoners. Known sources...
Statue of the goddess Isis, so-called “Isis of Coptos”. She wears a tripartite wig with uraeus. The sun disc and cow’s horns identify the sculpture as Isis or Hathor. Her dress is Egyptian in style and sheath-like in appearance, and around her neck she wears an incised collar of beads.
