Sculpture

Head of Tutankhamun

This indurated limestone head of Tutankhamun, shows the youthful king wearing the khepresh crown, with a cobra uraeus. Upon first glance you may miss it, but what is fascinating is the hand of Amun, sanctifying Tutankhamun. Although statues of Egyptian rulers with deities were common practice, this piece, depicting Tutankhamun with Amun, showcases the rapid...

Nikare with wife Khuennub and daughter Khuennebti

Nikare with wife Khuennub and daughter Khuennebti

This painted limestone statue of an Ancient Egyptian Old Kingdom family, dates from the 5th Dynasty, c. 2420-2389 B.C.The statue depicts Nikare, the Official of the Granary, with his wife Khuennub knelt by his side, and their daughter Khuennebti standing beside her father. Found in Saqqara, likely the Memphite region, the limestone statue still has...

Painted limestone head of an Old Kingdom woman

This painted limestone head of a woman was found in the mud brick mastaba Tomb of Nikhasutnisut (G 7911), Giza. Found among the debris of a pit, during the Harvard University-Museum of Fine Arts Expedition of 1930/31, the head of the woman measures at 9.2 cm high and 6.8cm wide. She is broken at the...

Painted limestone seated statuette of Mahu and his wife Duat.

Mahu and his wife Duat

This doubled seated painted limestone statue depicts the overseer Mahu, who is titled with “Overseer of the work of Amun at Karnak” and his wife Duat, who was a priestess with the title “Priestess of Amun-Ra and Hathor“. Due to their titles it is to be believed the pair were from Thebes, and thus, it...

Unknown couple statuette

Unknown couple statuette

This seated double statuette, made from painted limestone, is 28cm tall and depicts an Ancient Egyptian couple dating from the middle of the 18th Dynasty. Unfortunately, the piece is uninscribed, despite the sides having “scalloped motifs, edged on two sides with a decorative border of rectangles.” The piece is in typical Ancient Egyptian fashion, showcasing...

Head of Amenhotep I

Head of Amenhotep I

This head of the 18th Dynasty king Amenhotep I was discovered within the remnants of the Temple of Mentuhotep II at Deir el-Bahari (Forecourt, MMA excavations, 1921–22). Amenhotep I contributed multiple restorative building works to the Temple of Mentuhotep, which was originally developed by king Mentuhotep II in the early Middle Kingdom period. Amenhotep I...

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...

Kneeling Statue of Osorkon III

Kneeling Statue of Osorkon III

The statue depicting king Osorkon III kneeling and pushing a barque of Seker, red color on headdress and kilt, possibly an undercoat for gilding, now lost. Osorkon III ruled during the 8th century BC as part of the 23rd Dynasty. He was known for his military campaigns and efforts to restore stability to the kingdom...

Plaster face of an elder

Plaster face of an elder

This plaster face of an elderly face was discovered in Tell el-Amarna, the location of king Akhenaten’s experimental capital city of Akhetaten. Within this city was discovered a workshop belonging to the “king’s favourite” sculptor, a man by the name of Thutmose. It was of the remnants of this workshop where the world-famous, objectively breathtaking...

Alabaster figure of a woman

Alabaster figure of a woman

This calcite or Egyptian Alabaster figure of a woman dates from the Old Kingdom’s 4th Dynasty, c. 2613-2566 B.C. Read more about women in Ancient Egypt: Daughters of Isis, Women of Ancient Egypt