Origin: Egypt Dimensions: 69" (175.3cm) high Collection: Egyptian Medium: wood Condition: Extra Fine The funerary rites and rituals of Egypt are among the most elaborate  More »

Origin: Egypt Dimensions: 69" (175.3cm) high Collection: Egyptian Medium: wood Condition: Extra Fine The funerary rites and rituals of Egypt are among the most elaborate and celebrated burial traditions in the ancient world. The foremost concern was the preservation of the body, in order that it might be reborn in the afterlife. As mummification techniques became more and more advanced over time, so did the coffins become more and more elaborate. During the Middle Kingdom, mummy masks were made from plastered linen and became increasingly larger until they covered the entire upper body. Eventually, wooden mummy cases covering the entire body became the standard. These cases were created from a variety of materials, including stone, wood, and cartonnage, that were utilized depending upon the wealth and status of the deceased. Some of the earliest examples were relatively unadorned, featuring the general shape of the body highlighted by idealized facial details. Later, they evolved into ornate memorials that sought to recreate the specific appearance of the memorialized individual, both in terms of physical features as well as clothing and jewelry. Polychrome paint infused the works with color and the finest examples were gilt.   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 6.75" (17.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Period Medium: Bronze Osiris, the god of death, resurrection and  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 6.75" (17.1cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Period Medium: Bronze Osiris, the god of death, resurrection and fertility, was one of the most important deities in the Egyptian pantheon. The legend of Osiris states that he once ruled Egypt as king until he was murdered and dismembered by his jealous brother Seth. Isis, his faithful wife, gathered the pieces and restored him to life allowing the conception of their son Horus. Osiris subsequently became god of the underworld and was appealed to by those desirous of rebirth in the afterlife. Horus avenged his father and defeated Seth, succeeding to the throne of Egypt as the rightful heir of Osiris. This narrative was used as a theological rationale for the Egyptian monarchical system and also offered the hope of the possibility of immortality through resurrection. According to the standard iconography, Osiris is depicted in anthropomorphic form as a human mummy. Sitting erect, his hands project from his wrappings to grasp the crook and flail, his chief attributes. These items of regalia are often present in depictions of kings and are thought to represent pastoral implements. He wears the so- called Atef Crown, similar to the White Crown of Upper Egypt, but with two side feathers attached. A frontal uraeus (stylized cobra) symbolises his royalty and divinity. The bronze is hollow cast and there are tangs underneath the feet and buttocks for attachment to a base now missing. The eyes are recessed which indicates they were once inlaid, probably with silver.   « Less

Egyptian Faience Ushabti - SK.026 Origin: Egypt Dimensions: 6.15 " (15.6cm) high x 2.25 " (5.7cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Medium: Faience

Egyptian Faience Ushabti - SK.026 Origin: Egypt Dimensions: 6.15 " (15.6cm) high x 2.25 " (5.7cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Medium: Faience   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BC Dimensions: 2.375" (6.0cm) high x 1.625" (4.1cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Predynastic Medium: Stone

Origin: Egypt Circa: 4000 BC to 3000 BC Dimensions: 2.375" (6.0cm) high x 1.625" (4.1cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Predynastic Medium: Stone   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 200 BC to 50 BC Dimensions: 8.25" (21.0cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Ptolemaic Medium: Terracotta Following the death of Alexander the  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 200 BC to 50 BC Dimensions: 8.25" (21.0cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Ptolemaic Medium: Terracotta Following the death of Alexander the Great, his empire was divided between his three generals, each of whom set up their own kingdoms. One of them, Ptolemy, took Egypt as his share and made Alexandria his capital. Ruling as Ptolemy I Soter, he established the last dynasty to rule Egypt with the title of Pharaoh. For the next two and a half centuries, the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Greeks controlled Egypt, mingling Hellenic traditions with the mighty legacy of the Pharaohs. This stunning terracotta mask reveals the intermingling of native Egyptian and Greek artistic traditions. Depicting an individual wearing a serrated crown, this mask likely represents one of the Ptolemaic Kings, possible Ptolemy XII. Although King Ptolemy XII ruled Egypt from 51 until 47 B.C., he is perhaps best known for his unsuccessful attempts to rout his sister (and wife), Cleopatra, from power. Originally, they shared acting power as husband and wife, until conflicts between them forced Ptolemy to exile Cleopatra from Egypt. Civil war broke out as each side formed their own army; Ptolemy allied with the Roman general Pompey the Great. Following the death of Pompey, there was a brief moment of reconciliation between brother and sister. However, shortly thereafter, Cleopatra became the mistress of Caesar, and with his assistance, consolidated her power in Egypt and had Ptolemy executed. Gazing upon this work or art, might we be confronted with the face of this tragic King? Although his reign was brief and marked by internal struggles and civil war, one only sees the extraordinary legacy of Egyptian and Hellenic cultures merged together in this remarkable mask. - (PF.6113)   « Less

This wooden votive sculpture represents Isis, the bride of Osiris, the mother of Horus, the healer, the protector of women, the winged goddess able to grant immortality. The  More »

This wooden votive sculpture represents Isis, the bride of Osiris, the mother of Horus, the healer, the protector of women, the winged goddess able to grant immortality. The word, “Isis,” is actually the Greek version of her older Egyptian name, Aset or Eset, revealing that she remained a popular deity during the Ptolemaic period, associated with Demeter. Many centuries ago, this sculpture might have been found inside a temple, placed as an offering to the beloved goddess. She is depicted seated upon a throne, holding her right hand against her left breast in what might be interpreted as a gesture of fertility. Her eyes have been inlaid, enhancing the sense of realism. The legend of Osiris states that his brother Seth, overcome by jealousy, murdered him and tore his body into fourteen parts, scattering them across Egypt. Isis traversed the land and gathered all the parts of his body. She then cast a spell that resurrected her deceased husband for one night, during which their child, Horus, was conceived. Thus, Isis was one of the central figures of Egyptian religion, the healer, the giver of life. This gorgeous sculpture features traces of polychrome paint and gold leaf, suggesting that the work was once painted and gilt, revealing that is was a treasure even in its own day. - (X.0175)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1295 BC to 1185 BC Dimensions: 2.2" (5.6cm) high x 1.2" (3.0cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: 19th Dynasty Medium: Faience This delightfully  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1295 BC to 1185 BC Dimensions: 2.2" (5.6cm) high x 1.2" (3.0cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: 19th Dynasty Medium: Faience This delightfully small, cylindrically-shaped, faience beaker exhibits a slightly everted mouth, a disc-shaped lip and a protruding off-set foot. There are two columns of hieroglyphs of a lighter turquoise-blue color set into a rectangular frame on one side of the rich, darker blue colour of the vessel itself. Although the hieroglyphs are somewhat faded and some of the signs within the cartouche, or royal ring, are indistinct, the traces of what remain suggest that the cartouche contains the name of one of the kings of Dynasty XIX, and these remains plausibly suggest that that name may have been one of the forms of the prenomen of Sety I, the decoration of whose tomb in the Valley of the Kings ranks among the dynasty’s finest. Such beakers were extremely popular during Dynasty XVIII and variations continued to be created into the Third Intermediate Period and beyond. It is assumed that these vessels were funerary in nature. That suggestion is supported by the mention of the god Sokar on our example because Sokar was originally a funerary deity worshipped at Memphis whose cult was later assimilated into that of Osiris. The two-tone blue color of the faience itself reinforces the funerary symbolism of the vessel because of the associations of that colour with both resurrection and rebirth. It is assumed that such beakers, because of their small size, originally contained precious unguents and balms which were associated with the funerary cults of the deceased. Although ostensibly inscribed with the name of Sety I, our vessel was not necessarily part of his own funerary equipment. Objects such as this might also have been dedicated in sanctuaries for the continued well-being of the dedicator in the Hereafter.   « Less

Egyptian Seal - LO.1128 Origin: jericho Circa: 1300 BC to 900 BC Dimensions: 0.625" (1.6cm) wide x 0.375" (1.0cm) depth Collection: Egyptian Style: Seal Medium: Steatite

Egyptian Seal - LO.1128 Origin: jericho Circa: 1300 BC to 900 BC Dimensions: 0.625" (1.6cm) wide x 0.375" (1.0cm) depth Collection: Egyptian Style: Seal Medium: Steatite   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 7 th Century BC Dimensions: 25.75" (65.4cm) high x 9.5" (24.1cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Late New Kingdom Medium: Pink  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 7 th Century BC Dimensions: 25.75" (65.4cm) high x 9.5" (24.1cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Late New Kingdom Medium: Pink Granite Pink granite Bas relief fragment with a figure in profile to the right, the votary wearing long striated wig and broad wesekh-collar. A fragmentary hieroglyphic inscription above reads: "...Mistress of the gods...every joy...". - (FF.076)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 525 BC to 343 BC Dimensions: 7.75" (19.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience Perhaps no single object  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 525 BC to 343 BC Dimensions: 7.75" (19.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience Perhaps no single object epitomizes the spirit of Ancient Egypt better than the ushabti. Shaped like a divine mummy, the ushabti evokes the magical side of the Egyptian belief in an afterlife, while the pick and hoes clutched in the hands, as well as the seed bag slung over his shoulder, recall the rural, agrarian culture of the land. The word ushabti (supplanting the older term shawabti) literally means “the answerer.” The function of these little figures is described in Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead: “O this Ushabti! If (the deceased) is called upon to do hard labor in the hereafter, say thou: I am here.” The ushabti was expected to answer the call to work in place of the deceased, and this passage was frequently inscribed on the figures themselves. Originally, a single ushabti was placed in a given tomb; but by the New Kingdom, the statues had come to be regarded as servants and slaves for the deceased rather than as a substitute, and many might be found buried together, along with an overseer figure. In the course of Egyptian history, ushabti were created from wood, stone, metal, and faience. In the cultural renaissance of the 26th Dynasty, also known as the Saite Period (the time just before this work was produced), a green faience, the color of the Nile and evocative of the verdant landscape in springtime, was particularly popular. Along the body of this ushabti is inscribed ten rows of hieroglyphic text. Such inscriptions generally offer prayers from the deceased and reveal the ushabti’s readiness to perform labor. To look upon this ushabti is to come face to face with the mystery and magic of Egypt itself. - (X.0160)   « Less