Nine Bows

Tile of a bound Nubian

This glazed tile of a Nubian is from the remnants of a palace built by Ramesses III in Tell el-Yahudiyeh. This tile is only surviving in shards and has lost most of its former colour and gloss. Tell el Yahudiyeh is a city in Egypt’s Eastern Delta. The site has remnants dating from the Second...

Statue of Thutmose III Offering Two Nu Vases

Kneeling Statue of Thutmose III

In this unique marble statue, King Thutmose III is shown kneeling in a pose of worship, offering two Nu vases for libation to Amun-Re. He wears the royal nemes headdress, surmounted by the uraeus, or rearing cobra. His body is well modeled with defined muscles. The king is kneeling on the nine bows, which represent...

Statue of Ramesses II

Statue of Ramesses II

In this statue King Ramesses II appears in the Blue Khepresh Crown or war helmet, grasping the heqa scepter. The sculpture is world renowned as the Turin masterpiece portrait of Egypt’s longest reigning and most famous king. Breaking with traditional royal portraits, the great general wears a long full robe that is asymmetrically draped to...

Standing Statue of Thutmose III

Standing Statue of Thutmose III

This grey schist statue depicts King Thutmose III, who regained his throne after 20 years of struggle with his aunt and stepmother, Queen Hatshepsut. The queen usurped his right to the throne of Egypt after the death of his father, her husband, King Thutmose II. The statue represents Thutmose III as a great, athletic warrior...

Sandals of Tutankhamun

Sandals of Tutankhamun

King Tutankhamun would symbolically trample on his enemies when he wore his sandals. This unique sandals are also adorned on the top and bottom by the nine bows, symbols of the traditional enemies of Egypt. This pair of sandals is made of leather and has depictions of enemies on the soles. Four human figures portraying...

Sphinx of King Thutmose III

Sphinx of Thutmose III

Granodiorite statue of King Thutmose III depicted as a sphinx. The sphinx depicts the king reclining on the Nine bows, which represent the traditional enemies of Egypt brought to submission. The sculpture once stood in the Karnak Temple Complex near Thebes. However, it was discovered in 1903 buried with thousands of statues, steles, amulets, inlay...

Statue of King Amenhotep II with Meretseger. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 39394

Statue of Amenhotep II Protected by Meretseger

This statue represents King Amenhotep II protected by the goddess Meretseger. He is standing with his left leg striding forward, wearing the white Hedjet crown of Upper Egypt, and with a uraeus emerging from his forehead. Each foot stands on the image of the nine bows, which represent the combined enemies of Egypt. The cartouche...

Seated Statue of King Djoser

Statue of King Djoser

This statue was found in a closed room called Serdab, northeast of the funerary complex of King Djoser at Saqqara. It is believed that the statue of Djoser is the oldest known life-sized Egyptian statue. It depicts King Djoser himself, seated on his throne and enveloped in a jubilee cloak. The ka statue of king...