New Kingdom

Neje and Mutnofret

This is a limestone double seated statue of Neje, the doorman of the Temple of Amun with his mother Mutnofret, who also worked at the temple as a priestess. The mother and son pair are depicted in their finest linens and grandest wigs. Mutnofret, has a pleated wrapped floor length linen dress, adorned with a...

Ceremonial Shield of Tutankhamun

Ceremonial Shields of Tutankhamun

Among the military equipment found in the tomb of Tutankhamun were eight shields, four of which are ceremonial and are of openwork wood, incised and gilded. On this shield, a winged sun disk curves around the top, protecting the king who is shown with a scimitar in one hand and holding two lions by their...

Serene face

This wooden face from a coffin is beautifully carved with fine features and a sense of serenity can be felt from the expression and realism of the craftsmanship. The eyes and brows are inlaid with glass. Blue glass fills the brows and liner of the eyes, whereas the eyes themselves are white and black inlay,...

Nefertiti head unfinished

This head of Nefertiti was discovered in Tel el-Amarna, Egypt, the location of the ancient experimental capital of Akhet-Aten, within the remnants of house P 47.2, room 19 (ÄM 21352). This unfinished limestone head holds the same serene beauty as the more famous bust of the queen, but due to it’s unfinished state, it gives...

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...