These exquisite examples of Egyptian wood carving, depicting women bearing offerings, were discovered in a concealed chamber beside the passage leading into the rock-cut tomb of Meketre, the royal chief steward. These two remarkably similar female figures (Egyptian Museum, Cairo, JE 46725; Metropolitan Museum of Art, 20.3.7) stood flanking a collection of twenty-two intricate models,...
Statue of Queen Arsinoe II identified with Isis, mother goddess and patron of magic. It is considered one of the masterpieces of Ptolemaic sculpture, which combines Greek and Egyptian elements. The statue is in a traditional Egyptian striding pose. She stands facing forward with her arms lowered along the sides of the body and her...
In this statue King Ramesses II appears in the Blue Khepresh Crown or war helmet, grasping the heqa scepter. The sculpture is world renowned as the Turin masterpiece portrait of Egypt’s longest reigning and most famous king. Breaking with traditional royal portraits, the great general wears a long full robe that is asymmetrically draped to...
This colossal sandstone statue depicts king Seti II and is over five meters high! The statue was originally placed on the religious path of the sacred boats of the Theban triad (Amun, Mut and Khonsu) and it was essential that, also by means of a statue, the king presented himself to the entire population engaged...
This statuette is of a servant girl probably the best known of all the Egyptian objects in the Oriental Museum’s collection. It is reputedly from the tomb of Meryptah, High Priest of Ptah at Thebes. It is famous both for the quality of the craftsmanship and for the natural pose of the girl’s body. The...
Based on the style of this bust, it has been dated to the second half of 13th Dynasty, during the reigns of Userkare Khendjer to Khasekhemre Neferhotep I (ca. 1764-1731 BC). He is one of the most powerful kings of this dynasty. The upper part of this life-sized statue was found at the temple of...
Although he must have been nearly 50 years old when this portrait was carved, in this head sculpture, King Amenhotep III appears more youthful than ever. Over a round, curly wig he wears a diadem with side streamers adorned with uraei or rearing cobras bearing sun disks on their heads. The stone quartzite was associated...
The statue shows Kai sitting on a high-backed chair. He wears a shoulder length wig, decorated with horizontal rows of curls. Each eye is framed in copper, while his eyebrows are in raised relief. The lips are thin and finely drawn. Below, he wears Usekh or Wesekh (broad) collar, composed of seven horizontal bands of...
Upper part of a steatite figurine depicting the god Khnum. The ram headed deity was the embodiment of the creative force and was thought to control the waters of the Nile from caves near the first cataract. Intimately connected to the river and the concept of fertility, the god was often depicted as a potter,...
This lively statuette of a woman is presented in the act of making beer, kneading dough in a strainer over a large jar. The woman is wearing only a close-fitting, medium-length white skirt and a necklace. The pale blue shape of which can be clearly seen around her neck. Her hair is covered by a...
