This wooden stele would have been placed near the mummy of a married woman called Ta-miu whose name means ‘the cat’. She is given the title ‘Lady of the House’ which may mean is a married woman. Ta-miu is the daughter of Ankh-Khonsu, Superintendent of the Temple of Amun. Both sides of the stele are...
This calcite-alabaster canopic chest and its lid were made for storing the canopic jars of Shoshenq I (943-922 BC), the founder of the 22nd Dynasty of Egypt. The nomen and prenomen cartouches of Shoshenq I are carved on the surface. No trace has yet been found of the tomb of Shoshenq I. Egyptologists differ over...
This falcon-headed coffin does not contain an actual mummy but a symbolic Osiris mummy stuffed with grains like corn and sand. The falcon head on the coffin and the hieroglyphic text on the painted lid indicate they are associated with the funerary deity Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. During the mysteries, two statuettes of Osiris were manufactured: one was...
The Wadj amulet (also known as the papyrus column or scepter) is an Ancient Egyptian amulet in the shape of a papyrus stem. These amulets were made out of turquoise feldspar, as is indicated in the Book of the Dead. This faience amulet represents a papyrus column. Incised lines on the umbel delineate the leaves....
Vignette from the funerary papyrus of the scribe Djehutymes. In ancient Egypt, jackals and dogs were very common in the land between desert and urban areas, so they were associated with the world of necropolis and the dead. Specifically, their wandering among the tombs was interpreted as a perpetual guard service to the deceased. The...
The mummy case of the priest Panehesy is a very nice specimen, decorated with winged figures of gods and hieroglyphs. These paintings have a general protective significance. On the back of the sleeve you can see a ‘djed pillar’, the Egyptian symbol for sustainability and eternal existence. For the ancient Egyptians, life after death was...
This piece of beautiful scarab bracelet belongs to King Shoshenq II is considered a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian jewelry. The ends of the rigid bracelet are in the shape of lotus flowers with details that were once inlaid. The ends of the plain gold bracelet are joined by a finely detailed scarab of lapis lazuli....
This winged scarab beetle amulet is made of electrum. The wings are not those of a beetle, but those of a bird, as is apparent by their shape and the indication of individual feathers. Winged scarabs, meant to guarantee the rebirth of the deceased, were very popular funerary amulets. A series of animals depicting deities...
This Egyptian faience vase is molded in the form of the goddess Taweret, the ancient Egyptian patroness of childbirth and a protector of women and children. Like Bes, she was considered to be a ferocious demon as well as a protective and nurturing deity. She was associated with the lion, the crocodile, and the hippo;...
The pectoral of king Shoshenq II displays two falcons at its top, each wearing the Double Pschent Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. They are sitting upon the hieroglyphic symbol for sky, which is adorned with stars. Below, resting upon a boat, can be seen a lapis lazuli sun-disc, with an image of the enthroned...
