This handle likely belonged to a whip or perhaps a fly whisk. Intricately carved from a piece of ivory, it takes the form of a galloping horse. The ivory is stained reddish-brown pigment, with a painted black mane. A wonderful addition is the featuring of garnet inlays for the eyes—one of which is now missing,...
Queen Hatshepsut is the most famous female ruler of ancient Egypt. This head, which is one of the masterpieces of 18th Dynasty sculpture, was part of a statue that once represented the queen in the shape of the god Osiris. Queen Hatshepsut, who reigned during the 18th Dynasty (around 1479–1458 BC), is often depicted in...
The Eye of Re Pectoral is associated with ancient Egyptian symbolism, where the Eye of Re represents protection, royal power, and divine authority, often depicted with a rearing cobra, symbolizing the violent aspect that defends against chaos. The necklace, on which this pectoral was suspended in the layer of amulets nearest to the king’s mummy,...
The grape harvest scene in the Tomb of Nakht (TT52) is one of the most notable and detailed depictions in the tomb. In the upper register, two men harvesting grapes, one of the men has grey hair. Harvested grapes are placed in a white stone press where they are treated by five men. Man collects...
This small statue, which depicts King Akhenaten making offerings, was discovered in a house in the residential area of Tell el-Amarna. This type of statuette served as a figurative embodiment of the human pharaoh, enabling the magic rituals in the celebration of religious rites connected with Aten. Akhenaten was a pharaoh who reigned during the...
Several headrests were found among the treasures in Tutankhamun’s tomb. This carefully carved ivory one depicts the god Shu holding up the celestial vault. If one goes to sleep on one’s side, then one’s head ends up a few centimetres above the surface one is lying on, a distance equal to the breadth of one’s...
This vulture pectoral of Tutankhamun is a stunning piece of ancient Egyptian jewelry that was found in the tomb of the young pharaoh Tutankhamun. This pectoral, or chest ornament prominently features the goddess Nekhbet, the patroness of Upper Egypt. The vulture pectoral was found in a box within the treasury. It is unusual in that,...
In ancient Egypt, the heart was not just a physical organ but was seen as the repository of one’s moral life. Protecting it was crucial for ensuring a favourable judgment in the afterlife. Due to the heart’s significance, it was one of the few organs left in the body during mummification or reinserted after preservation,...
Striding leopard from the tomb of king Thutmose IV The figure is made of six pieces of wood put together – the body, four legs, and the tail – and has two rectangular mortises on its back for the insertion of tenons. Originally, the piece would have featured inlaid eyes, which have since been lost....
This head of an Amarna Period female royal was found within the remnants of the workshop of the sculptor Thutmose. Sculpted from quartz with traces of pigment upon the lips and eyes, the face is that of a young female, possibly and likely a daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, but there is a possibility it...
