Sculpture

Wooden figure of a woman playing a harp

Wooden figure of a woman playing a harp

This wooden painted figure of a woman playing a harp, dates from the Third Intermediate Period, c.1070-664 B.C. She stands 26cm tall and 6.5cm wide, and currently resides in the British Museum. Music played a very important part in ancient Egyptian life. From all periods there are scenes in temples and tombs showing musicians playing....

Old Kingdom Family Portrait

Old Kingdom Family Portrait

This seated limestone family portrait depicts a husband, wife and son. It dates from the 4th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom, c. 2620-2500 B.C. The piece stands at 78cm tall and 48cm wide. It was once painted and traces of the paint still remains, including black, red and yellow pigments. It was discovered by...

Block Statue of Harsomtusemhat

Block Statue of Harsomtusemhat

Sistrophorus block statue, showing Harsomtusemhat sitting on a socle, with his legs grouped and the hands on his knees. Before the arms and between the legs, the man is holding the sesheshet sistrum, with the face of the goddess Hathor and the monumental gate in raised relief. This statue was meant to be placed inside...

Triad of Rawer

Triad of Rawer

Quartzite triad statue of Rawer; standing, left leg forward, arms along the body, hands closed in fist, same garment, the central figure wearing round plait wig; the two others have long wig. Inscription on the back. Owner of G 8988. Son of Itisen and Hetepheres. Entrance architrave, lintel and facade inscribed for Rawer, identified as...

Statue of Hetepdief

Statue of Hetepdief

The statue of Hetepdief is one of the earliest examples of private statuary, and more importantly, it is yet the first ancient Egyptian statue shown kneeling in the attitude of prayer while maintaining its conformity with ancient Egyptian artistic conventions. On his right shoulder can be seen the Horus names of three 2nd Dynasty Kings...

Apis Bull Statuette

Apis Bull Statuette

In this ivory statuette of Apis bull, the white triangle is indicated by a sunken area on the head, while engravings of a vulture with wings spread and a winged scarab flank an elaborate blanket on the back. One of the most important animal deities of ancient Egypt was the sacred Apis bull, whose worship...

Statuette of the official Bes. Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon. Inv. 158

Statuette of the official Bes

The inscription on the base of this statuette of the official Bes reads ‘Count and Prince, Companion of His Majesty’. Bes is portrayed sitting in a position that was widely used in the Old Kingdom (c. 2660–2180 BC), at the beginning of the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BC) and again by the officials, including this...

Limestone seated figure of Senebef

Limestone seated figure of Senebef

This seated limestone statuette of “overseer of the ointments” Senebef is believed to date from the Early 13th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt’s Middle Kingdom. The structure of the face and enlarged ears are a distinctive style of the era it is thought to be from. Senebef wears a shoulder-length wig of plaited hair tucked behind...

Painted quartzite head of Seti II

Painted quartzite head of Seti II

This quartzite head of king Seti II, was a part of a statue within the Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Amun at Karnak, the body of the statue remains in its original location. Seti II (or Sethos II) was the fifth pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt and reigned from c. 1203 BC...

Predynastic breccia frog

Predynastic breccia frog

Breccia cosmetic-vessel, theriomorphic, representing a frog, eyes originally inlaid, pierced lug handles and everted rim. These vessels were commonly used in ancient Egypt during the Predynastic period, which refers to the time before the establishment of the 1st Dynasty. These vessels were made from breccia, a type of rock composed of fragments of different minerals...