Limestone statue of the dwarf Khnumhotep, “Overseer of Ka-priests”, and dancer at the funeral of the Sacred Bulls.Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty, c. 2350–2170 B.C.Saqqara. Khnumhotep, the priest and overseer of the royal wardrobe, was an Egyptian dwarf who suffered from physical deformity. He is represented with his torso exaggeratedly large in proportion to his short...
Made from the ivory from a hippopotamus, this dog was a figure piece from a game called “Mehen”, also known as The Serpant Game. Knowing the game pre-dates the period from which this collared dog was likely created in, it tells us that Egyptians had domesticated the dog possibly long before the unified Egypt even...
Prince Ankhhaf was the son of an Old Kingdom king, most probably king Sneferu, making Ankhhaf the brother of king Khufu. Ankhhaf had the titles “eldest king’s son of his body” (sa nswt n khtf smsw), “vizier” and “the great one of Five of the house of Thoth” (wr djw pr-Djehuti). This bust made of...
Quartzite head of King Djedefre from Abu Rawash. Djedefre was the son of King Khufu ruled Egypt for 8 years and built his pyramid in Abu Rawash area in the north of Giza. His name was written inside a royal cartouche and was the first king to take the title of ‘Son of Re’ that...
Idy was an Egyptian man who lived and died within the 6th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom, c. 2345-2181 B.C. He was a nomarch (provincial governor of the varied nomes of Egypt, similar to a local administrator or perhaps a modern local councillor or possibly mayor type figure). He held titles such as Royal...
In this Old Kingdom, Late 5th Dynasty, triad statue, dating from approximately 2455-2350 B.C., we see an Ancient Egyptian style family portrait of a man called Ni-ka-re (Nykara), his wife Ni-ka.w-nb (.w) and their son Ankh-ma-re. Such statues were often placed in tombs for offerings to be received, yet they were also placed within households...
This small bottle made of beautifully veined amethyst would have been a luxury item, most probably filled with an expensive, fragrant oil. The container would have had a stopper. Since the base is rounded and does not sit flat, the container would probably have been placed in a box or ring stand to remain upright.This...
Sir Flinders Petrie discovered this human head of a man, resting upon a head rest in Sidmant el-Gebel within the Tomb of Meryrahashetef (?). Petrie identified the mummy as the Old Kingdom, “Keeper of the Palace Garden” and “Lector Priest”, Meryrahashetef of the 6th Dynasty. A wooden statue of Meryrahashetef, which has been carved from...
Double Mastaba of Meresankh III, G7530-40 (originally built for Hetepheres II), Giza Necropolis. Hetepheres II is the daughter of King Khufu, her daughter Meresankh III is granddaughter to Khufu and the wife of King Khafre. “Her mother, beholder of Horus and Seth, the great favourite, the controller of the butchers of the house of the...
A relief of the deceased Queen Meresankh III and her mother Hetepheres II sailing in the marshes to gather papyrus reeds for the ritual of ‘shaking the papyrus’ to induce the goddess Hathor to them: “Her mother, daughter of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Khufu, the great favourite, Hetep-heres. Her beloved daughter, the...
