The Colossi of Memnon (Arabic: el-Colossat or es-Salamat) are two colossal seated statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, which once would have flanked the entrance of the king’s Mortuary Temple, which was said to have finally been erected in 1350 B.C. The sculptures have 107 Roman-era inscriptions in Greek and Latin dated between 20 and 250...
This wooden figure of a priestess named Imertnebes was discovered in Thebes and dates from the Middle Kingdom period, c. 1991-1783 B.C. Imertnebes was a high-ranking priestess who bore a title that would eventually be designated for princesses who served as high-priestesses of Amun; “God’s Wife“. Depicted in typical Middle Kingdom fashion, Imertnebes’s figure is...
This piece was discovered at Giza, and the inscription indicates that two persons are depicted, a woman named Mertites (who is depicted twice) and a boy named Chennoe (also sometimes written as Shenoe). The relationship between Mertites and Chennoe is not documented upon the piece, however, it is more than likely that they are mother...
These heads, discovered within the remnants of the studio of the sculptor Thutmose at Tel el-Amarna, clearly depict king Akhenaten and his Great Royal Wife Nefertiti. Despite no markings, based upon appearance alone we can almost certainly identify the royal pair. The heads are made of plaster (stucco) and are life-sized. Stucco is applied wet...
Mitry (formerly spelt “Merti”) was a senior official and province governor. His tomb’s serdab (statue chamber) contained eleven extraordinarily huge wooden statues. Five are in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection (26.2.2 – 26.2.6); five, including two wooden scribes, are in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo; and one is at Stockholm’s Medlhavsmuseet. Most of these...
This limestone piece, despite damage and missing aspects, depicts a scene of a man and a woman copulating. The man’s phallus is oversized, for symbolism, but the tenderness of the scene showcases an interesting and unique representation of erotic artworks from Ancient Egypt. As the couple lay upon their side facing one another, the man,...
This wooden statuette depicts a Middle Kingdom woman with a wig of plaited hair parted in the middle, creating a pigtail appearance. Her real hair can be seen within the middle part of the wig peeking through, with slight painted lines indicating hair strands. Such a hairstyle was usually associated with the goddess Hathor. The...
This small, wooden standing statue of Niankh-pepi is a unique masterpiece of art, which portrays a porter advancing and carrying a basket on his back. The basket is decorated and fitted with a support used when resting it on the ground. The two white straps are used to hold it over the servant’s shoulders and...
This colossal limestone bust depicts a female figure wearing what is known as the ‘Hathor wig’, which has wide lappets on either side of the face that curve at the ends and a very broad lappet at the back. This sort of wig has been named after the goddess Hathor because it resembles her hairstyle,...
This limestone striding figure of Nefertiti was unearthed in the archaeological remnants of the sculptor Thutmose’s workshop, within the remains of the same room (Amarna House P 47.02. Room 19) where the famous bust of the queen was discovered in 1912 by Ludwig Borchardt, at Tel el-Amarna. The figure was discovered in several fragments and...
