Sculpture

Amarna Princess

This small limestone statuette depicts a daughter of king Akhenaten and Nefertiti. She is depicted with a “side lock” of youth, protruding from a cap crown, seemingly made of layered beads. A “side lock” of youth is the modern term coined by Egyptologists to recognize this specific hairstyle, which was often worn by children or...

Nehy

Inscription: Everything which goes forth before the lords of the necropolis: bread, beer, oxen and fowl, wine, incense, libation-water and all good and pure things for the Ka of the Osiris, the Mistress of the House, the Chantress of the Mistress of Heaven, She of the Southern Sycamore (Hathor), Nehy, True of Voice. Nehy was...

The baker Djehuty

This double seated statue of an 18th Dynasty baker and his wife Ahhotep is made of limestone. The couple’s children appear upon the sides of their seat. Remnants of paint remain upon the figures of both Djehuty and Ahhotep. They are wearing their finest linens, Djehuty wears a wrap around shendyt that is pulled up...

Mayor Nen-Kheft-Ka

Made of limestone, the statue is delicately carved in traditional style of the Old Kingdom period. The pleated linen of Nen-Kheft-Ka’s kilt and belt, and dagger resting upon his stomach, showcases beautiful craftsmanship. The remnants of paint, reddish yellow, giving a golden hue to the skin, white of the kilt and black of the square...

Nen-Kheft-Ka and Nefer-Shemes

Inscribed with the title of “Royal acquaintance”, this double statuette depicts a married couple, Nen-Kheft-Ka and his wife Nefer-Shemes. Nen-Kheft-Ka was the mayor of his town, and this statue was discovered within his mastaba, rock-cut tomb at Deshasheh. Made of limestone, the statue is delicately carved in traditional style of the Old Kingdom period. The...

Striding figure of a man

This wooden figure of a man dates from around 2347-1793 B.C., making it a Late Old Kingdom – Middle Kingdom production. It depicts a man with one leg forth, holding a now, missing staff, and another object in his hand. He wears a short cropped wig upon his head and a pleated linen kilt, known...

Middle Kingdom head of a man

This head of a man dates from the Middle Kingdom period and is very recognizable by the characteristics of the face. Here we see a style of portraiture that began with the reign of Senwosret III. The face is no longer a smooth serene idealistic depiction, but a detailed lined face with frown lines, sunken...

Ptolemaic head of a king

This black granodiorite head of a king dates from the Ptolemaic period, c. 300 B.C. The Ptolemaic dynasty, also known as the Lagid dynasty (after Ptolemy I’s father, Lagus), was a Macedonian Greek royal house which ruled the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Ancient Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Reigning for 275 years, the Ptolemaic was the...

Fragmentary female

Fragmentary female

This limestone fragment from a statue of a woman was found in the remnants of the Temple of Mentuhotep II, at Deir el-Bahari. At 26.50cm tall, unfortunately, her lower body and right arm are missing. She was discovered among other statues, known as “votive statues”, during an excavation of the Temple of Menuthotep II. It...

Plaster cast of a face

Within the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, there is a rather strange thing that doesn’t get much attention. It is what appears to be a true to life plaster cast death mask. This is not a mask made by an artist to represent a godlike image of the deceased, but an actual cast of the face....