New Kingdom

Ushabti of Ptahmes

Ptahmes wears a tripartite wig which was painted black. The face is painted red and has clearly delineated features, including ears, nose, mouth and eyes. The eyes are outlined in black paint. There is no beard. The arms are shown bent at the elbows and held across the belly. The hands are shown in fists...

Monkey's Grooming

Monkey’s Grooming

This small limestone figurine depicts a monkey grooming another, and from the right side a small monkey can be seen grooming another tiny monkey, between the two.The purpose of this figurine is uncertain, it could have been made just as an amusing trinket. However, the Royal Ontario Museum, where this piece now resides, actually proposes...

Ramesses II smiting a Nubian

Ramesses II smiting a Nubian, depicted in the Temple of Beit el-Wali; a rock-cut temple the king had built in the Nubian region for seemingly propagandist reasoning. The temple was dedicated to the deities; Ra-Horakhty, Amun-Ra, Anuket and Khnum (feminine & masculine Nile deities). The Temple of Beit el-Wali was relocated to higher ground in...

Quartzite torso of Meketaten

Meketaten was born approximately in Year 4 of Akhenaten’s reign to him and his Great Royal Wife, Nefertiti. She had an elder sister, Meritaten, and four younger sisters: Ankhesenpaaten, Neferneferuaten Tasherit, Neferneferure and Setepenre. Tutankhaten was likely their full brother or half-brother through their father. The first known depiction of Meketaten is on the walls...

Amarna Princess

This small limestone statuette depicts a daughter of king Akhenaten and Nefertiti. She is depicted with a “side lock” of youth, protruding from a cap crown, seemingly made of layered beads. A “side lock” of youth is the modern term coined by Egyptologists to recognize this specific hairstyle, which was often worn by children or...

Amarna calf

This talatat from Amarna depicts a farmer with his hand within a cow’s mouth, it is likely the farmer is helping the calf to digest its food. Agriculture was the most important thing to cultures of the ancient world, and Egypt was no different. A major part of the Egyptian religion or spirituality itself was...

Nehy

Inscription: Everything which goes forth before the lords of the necropolis: bread, beer, oxen and fowl, wine, incense, libation-water and all good and pure things for the Ka of the Osiris, the Mistress of the House, the Chantress of the Mistress of Heaven, She of the Southern Sycamore (Hathor), Nehy, True of Voice. Nehy was...

The baker Djehuty

This double seated statue of an 18th Dynasty baker and his wife Ahhotep is made of limestone. The couple’s children appear upon the sides of their seat. Remnants of paint remain upon the figures of both Djehuty and Ahhotep. They are wearing their finest linens, Djehuty wears a wrap around shendyt that is pulled up...

Bes vessel

Bes vessel

This green-glazed composition vessel depicts the dwarf god Bes on one side and a circular display of varied animals, including a lion, ibexes, antelopes, deer and fowl on the back. One of the animals in the circle seemingly looks like a camel, but it is uncertain. Purchased by Dr Erich Cassirer and residing in the...

Relief of Ramesses II

This limestone relief, depicting king Ramesses II, is rich in colour despite being just a fragmentary remnant. The king is adorned in yellow, representing glistening gold. The style of portraiture tells us this piece was likely made early within his reign, possibly somewhere between the first two years, as it’s very similar to works created...