This golden Ram’s-head amulet was probably made for a necklace worn by one of the Kushite kings. Representations show these pharaohs wearing a ram’s-head amulet tied around the neck on a thick cord, the ends of which fall forward over the shoulders. Sometimes a smaller ram’s head is attached to each end. Rams were associated...
This limestone statue of a man named Penmernabu holding a shrine was discovered at Deir el-Medina. Penmernabu’s shrine is surmounted by the head of a ram, an animal sacred and associated with the god Amun-Ra. The first datable remains of the village of Deir el-Medina (Set Ma’at) belong to the reign of Thutmose I (c....
Stone relief plaque depicting a Ram, representation of god Amun, or of Banebdjedet of Mendes. The two sets of horns on this exemplary portrayal of a ram reflect ancient Egyptian sculptors’ simultaneous close observation of nature and strict adherence to artistic tradition. The elongated corkscrew horns atop the ram’s head belong to a species that...
More than 2,000 mummified ram heads and a palatial Old Kingdom structure have been uncovered by archaeologists at the Temple of Ramesses II of Abydos. The finds, located roughly 270 miles (435 kilometers) south of Cairo, come from a period of over 1,000 years, from the 6th Dynasty to the Heroic Age, making some of...
The pectoral bearing the throne name of Ramesses II written in a cartouche above what is already a dense composition. Two djed pillars fill in the lower corners of the rectangular frame; they symbolize stability and the rebirth of Osiris. Nekhbet and Wadjet, goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt, stand side by side within the...
This is a pottery ostracon, measuring 14.4×10.3 cm with an ink sketch showing the prow of the sacred boat of the god Amun-Re. It is decorated with a ram’s head and a royal cobra (uraeus). The line of hieroglyphs over the head of the ram reads, “Amun-Re, the Light of Day.” And the column of...
This splendid votive bust of a ram head with curving horns and stylized mane is placed on an inscribed pedestal. The top of the pedestal is marked by a cavetto cornice and a torus molding. The front has a shallow incised decoration of Amenhotep I in front of an offering stand. He is identified as...
This grey granite statue of King Ramesses III as a Standard Bearer of Amun-Re was found in Karnak in the temple of Amun-Re. Depicting himself as a high priest allowed Ramesses III to symbolically attend all ceremonies in every temple. Engraving his images on the walls and installing his statues in the temples magically ensured...
Pendant in the shape of a ram headed falcon (gold, lapis-lazuli, turquoise and carnelian), found on the mummy of an Apis bull in the Serapeum of Memphis at Saqqara. This pendant takes the form of a falcon with a ram’s head, with outstretched wings and legs. This is a composite figure of a deity, almost...
Reliefs like this ram plaque depict a subject in a partial or unfinished way but are themselves complete objects that constitute a special class of object. Guidelines like those for artists are often prominently exhibited as part of the object, although, in fact, many instances can be noted where the object simply could not serve...
