These exquisite panels, once the doors of a small wooden shrine, were crafted from Egyptian fig wood and reinforced with two Lebanese cedar dowels embedded in each. Discovered in Egypt, they offer a fascinating glimpse into the everyday devotion of the Greco-Egyptian society, reflecting the worship of two deities that bridged two cultures. Isis, a...
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...
Carved and delicately painted, this limestone figurine showcases a mother dog nursing her five pups. Upon a vibrant yellow backdrop, the mother dog is collared and her lead/leash cascades to the floor in a decorative spiral. Her teets are depicted 2-dimensional against the raised limestone 3-dimensional effect of the pups and mother herself. Her face...
One of the most remarkable paintings to survive from ancient Egypt, this depiction of the noblewoman Tjepu came from a tomb built for her son Nebamun and a sculptor named Ipuky. Egyptian artists usually did not depict individuals as they truly looked, but rather as eternally youthful, lavishly dressed, and in an attitude of repose....
Nebamun was a middle-ranking official “scribe and grain accountant” during the period of the New Kingdom in Ancient Egypt. He is thought to have lived ca. 1350 BC and worked at the vast temple complex near Thebes, where the state-god Amun was worshiped. His name was translated as “My Lord is Amun”, and his association...
A mature woman gazes out from this Romano-Egyptian mummy portrait. The name of the woman, Isidora, is written on what remains of the cartonnage, or linen mummy case. She wears an elegant, braided hairstyle that was fashionable in the early 100s A.D., and she is fully accessorized with a gold hairpin, gold-and-pearl earrings, and three...
This Faiyum portrait of a young woman dates from around 100-200 A.D., and depicts an Egyptian woman with hair tied back in a bun and styled in ringlets, wearing a dusty pink and rust tunic, with thick eyebrows, and baretta earrings. She has a slight Mona-Lisa smile as she gazes ahead. These portraits, known as...
Paneb was a chief of the Theban workers of Deir el-Medina, who is infamous for the numerous allegations against him including; debauchery, bribery, theft (including royal stone and objects from tombs), sexual assault and violence. The Papyrus Salt 124 (also known as the British Museum Papyrus 10055) (Museum number EA10055) presents the numerous charges against...
This colourful fragment comes from the tomb of the foreman Inherkhau (TT359), at Deir el-Medina. Inherkhau held the title, “Foreman of the Lord of the Two Lands in the Place of Truth“, and worked under the reigns of king Ramesses III and Ramesses IV. The piece shows Inherkhau alongside his son Kenna. Kenna is noticed...
This charming image of a cat eating a fish whilst sat under the chair of a woman named Tawy, is depicted on the Western wall, southern side, within the 18th Dynasty tomb of Tawy’s husband named Nakht (TT52). The image has been documented in a facsimile by the artist Nina De Garis Davis, with all...
