Ptolemaic

Cleopatra II or III

This head of a queen most likely represents Cleopatra II or her daughter, Cleopatra III. There were 7 Cleopatra’s of Egypt overall, with the 7th being the most notable, going just by “Cleopatra” to the masses. Despite this, the other Cleopatras’ reigns were also filled with notoriety and left some splendid artefacts, such as this...

Ptolemaic head of a king

This black granodiorite head of a king dates from the Ptolemaic period, c. 300 B.C. The Ptolemaic dynasty, also known as the Lagid dynasty (after Ptolemy I’s father, Lagus), was a Macedonian Greek royal house which ruled the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Ancient Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Reigning for 275 years, the Ptolemaic was the...

Basalt male torso with magical spells carved

Male torso with magic spells engraved

The basalt torso of Pa-Maj is entirely covered in engravings of magical spells and images of gods. Such items became highly collectable in Europe by the 1700s. This splendid statue in mutilated basalt, represents a standing man usually with his arms along the body and the palms of his hands turned inside and is leaning...

Bust of Cleopatra VII

This marble portrait of Cleopatra VII was discovered at Via Appia, between Ariccia and Genzano and was likely on display in a private villa south of Rome.The bust dates from approximately 40-30 B.C., and was made during the queen’s lifetime. Cleopatra VII is seen wearing the broad royal diadem of her Ptolemaic lineage, and her...

Gold medallion of Caracalla

This gold medallion of the Roman Emperor Caracalla, was found in Abu Qir, Egypt, and dates from, c. 215-243 A.D. It is one of 20 medallions found within a hoard in Abu Qir, Egypt. One of the medallion’s is marked with “Olympic Games of the year 274”, which could mean that these were medallions given...

Statuette of Osiris as a Mummy with Erected Phallus

This baked clay statuette depicts the god Osiris naked, wears a tripartite wig and a divine beard. The penis and testicles are shaped separately and inserted into an oval recess. The black stone pupils are placed in a white stucco eyeball. The eye framing and eyebrows are inlaid sheet gold. Within the mummy case were...

Mummy of Nesmin

Mummy of Nesmin

This mummy belongs to a man called Nesmin; his name means “The One Who Belongs to (the god) Min.” He was a priest for Min in Akhmim, and from the inscription on his coffin, it is known that his father Djedhor was a priest as well, and that his mother Tadiaset was a musician for...

Terracotta lamp with the head of a man

Terracotta lamp with the head of a man

This mold-made terracotta lamp has been carved in the shape of a Sub Saharan African man. It is open upon the top of the head and mouth. This lamp is one of twenty-five lamps of various designs, which dates from the Ptolemaic Period, c. 332-364 A.D. The Ancient Egyptians enjoyed almost caricature style belittling depictions...

Amulet of Isis, Horus, and Nephthys

Amulet of Isis, Horus, and Nephthys

According to the myth the sister goddesses Isis and Nepthys cared for the body of Osiris and later they protected his son Horus as a young child. The three deities depicted in this triad amulet are some of the main protagonists in the Osiride myth that tells the murder and revival of the god Osiris...

Torso of Amenpayom. Cleveland Art Museum. 1948.141

Torso of Amenpayom

Life-sized granodiorite torso inscribed for Amenpayom, the great army general of the district of Mendes in the Nile Delta.Ptolemaic Dynasty, 200–100 B.C.From Tanis, Egypt. Now at the Cleveland Art Museum. 1948.141