Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 8.0" (20.3cm) high x 2.25" (5.7cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronze This magnificent  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 8.0" (20.3cm) high x 2.25" (5.7cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Bronze This magnificent bronze votive sculpture represents Osiris, god of fertility, king of the dead, and ruler of eternity. Many centuries ago, it might have been found inside a temple, placed as an offering to the mighty deity. He is depicted wrapped as a mummy, holding a crook and flail. These two attributes act as scepters symbolic of his divine authority over the forces of nature. He wears the atef crown, featuring a uraeus cobra slithering down the front and a pair of undulating ribbed ram’s horns emerging from the sides, and a false braided beard with a curved tip. This type of beard is a symbol of divinity while the headdress associates the god with the ruling pharaohs. 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, the faithful wife of Osiris, 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, Osiris was the central figure of Egyptian religion, the god who had triumphed over death and therefore offered the hope of rebirth and resurrection to all men. This striking image of the god in his royal mummiform speaks of a universal mystery, the unanswered questions for which no living man has a sure answer. - (X.0339)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 720 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 7.25" (18.4cm) high Collection: Egyptian antiquities Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze At first glance, this  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 720 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 7.25" (18.4cm) high Collection: Egyptian antiquities Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze At first glance, this bronze statuette of Osiris appears to be very unassuming. The god of the Hereafter is represented in the time-honored manner as a figure standing upon an integral base from which protrudes a tang for insertion into a now-missing base. We can, therefore, suggest that this figure was part of a larger group composition which may have included a depiction of an elite member of Egyptian society, in smaller scale, kneeling in obeisance before this god. Osiris is represented as a mummiform figure with his hands protruding from beneath his stylized mummy bandages in order to hold the crook and flail, his traditional attributes. His accessories include a plaited beard which slips down under his chin and an atef-crown, the White Crown of which is flanked on each side by a single ostrich feature representing “truth.” This crown is fronted by a uraeus, or sacred cobra. This object is separated from more routine depictions of Osiris in bronze by the attention paid to the depiction on its back. There in raised relief, is a depiction of his sister and wife, Isis, facing right. She is shown standing on a tall, reticulated base, perhaps intended to suggest her throne. Her striated headdress supports her attribute in the form of a pair of cow’s horns framing a solar disc. Her tightly fitting sheath is ornamented with linear detail, suggesting the pattern textile from which it was woven. She is equipped with wings which she spreads out over the back of her husband in an eternal gesture of protection. Such depictions are exceedingly rare in the repertoire of ancient Egyptian bronze representations of Osiris, but a good parallel is provided by a similarly designed statuette in a private collection in Belgium. On the basis of their styles, such images can be dated to the Late Period.   « Less

Egyptian Wooden Inscribed Mummy Tag - LO.1182 Origin: Egypt Circa: 200 BC to 200 AD Dimensions: 6" (15.2cm) high x 3.375" (8.6cm) wide Collection: Egyptian  More »

Egyptian Wooden Inscribed Mummy Tag - LO.1182 Origin: Egypt Circa: 200 BC to 200 AD Dimensions: 6" (15.2cm) high x 3.375" (8.6cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Roman, Coptic Medium: Wood   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 100 BC to 30 BC Dimensions: 3.2" (8.1cm) high x 2.50" (6.4cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Ptolemaic Medium: Wood Inscribed with  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 100 BC to 30 BC Dimensions: 3.2" (8.1cm) high x 2.50" (6.4cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Style: Ptolemaic Medium: Wood Inscribed with the name of Cleopatra. - (FF.116)   « Less

Papyrus Manuscript - CK.0654 Origin: Egypt Dimensions: 11" (27.9cm) high x 6" (15.2cm) wide Collection: Egpytian Medium: Papyrus

Papyrus Manuscript - CK.0654 Origin: Egypt Dimensions: 11" (27.9cm) high x 6" (15.2cm) wide Collection: Egpytian Medium: Papyrus   « Less

Origin: Sinai, Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 3.375" (8.6cm) high x 3.5 " (8.9cm) wide Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium:  More »

Origin: Sinai, Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 3.375" (8.6cm) high x 3.5 " (8.9cm) wide Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze This thick-snouted fish with a long dorsal fin, pairs of ventral fins front and back, and a bipartite tail is a member of the Mormyrus genus, more commonly termed the Oxyrhynchus fish in Egyptological literature. The more common name of this fish is that of the village of Oxyrhynchus situated in the Egyptian Faiyum, the agriculturally-rich region to the southwest of modern Cairo. Hollow cast in bronze with details rendered as linear adjuncts, the fish rests on an elaborate base, evocative of a cult statue. Its ventral fins are each affixed to one of two papyrus umbels mounted to the front and back. The fish wears as an attribute the horns of a cow fronted by a sun disc. The ancient Egyptian traditions which grew up around the Oxyrhynchus fish are varied and complex. The best known, preserved by Plutarch, a Greek priest of the oracle of Apollo at Delphi writing in the second century A.D., in chapter 72 of his monumental opus De Iside recounts how the citizens of Oxyrhynchus engaged in a bloody confrontation with the citizens of neighboring Kynopolis because the citizens of Kynopolis ate the Oxyrhynchus fish. That account in Plutarch differs from the two ancient Egyptian accounts of this fish, both of which are associated with the god Osiris. As one recalls, Osiris and his brother, Seth, became embroiled in a conflict for power with the result that Seth triumphed over Osiris. In so doing, he dismembered the body of Osiris and scattered it far and wide. Isis, the dutiful wife and, incidentally, sister of Osiris, gathered up the pieces and reassembled them, but not before the Oxyrhynchus fish ate his phallus. The phallus was necessary for the posthumous conception of Osiris’s son and heir, Horus. In another version of the myth, the Oxyrhynchus fish emerged from the wounds of Osiris himself. Whatever the truth in these matters might be, the Oxyrhynchus fish was inextricably associated with the god Osiris and revered by the ancient Egyptians. That reverence explains why this fish wears as attributes the sun disc and cow horns, associating it with Isis in her role as the reviver of her husband Osiris.   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1580 BC to 1085 BC Dimensions: 5.75" (14.6cm) high Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Granite This marvelous Egyptian  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1580 BC to 1085 BC Dimensions: 5.75" (14.6cm) high Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Granite This marvelous Egyptian granite head dates from the Golden Age of the New Kingdom. Originally, the bust would have been attached to a larger, complete body; although this has been lost to us. What does survive, however, is a gorgeous rendering of a smiling, youthful man. He wears a cloth, striped nemes wig, the same type that was immortalized in the famous tomb sculptures of Tutankhamen. The wig is indicative of the pharaohs and was often used in art to indicate social status. A rearing uraeus cobra decorates the front of the headdress. The facial features of the man have been rendered with an idealization typical of Egyptian art. His eyes are wide open and he smiles sweetly, as if greeting the gods in the great beyond. Such a work originally may have been entered alongside the deceased in order to welcome him into the afterlife. It is also possible that it may have decorated a temple of royal palace. The New Kingdom was a veritable Renaissance of Egyptian culture during which some of the most famous monuments of this ancient civilization were created. This magnificent granite bust symbolizes the beauty and refinement of Egyptian art as a whole. - (PF.0160)   « Less

Papyrus Manuscript - CK.0653 Origin: Egypt Circa: 100 BC to 400 AD Collection: Egpytian Medium: Papyrus

Papyrus Manuscript - CK.0653 Origin: Egypt Circa: 100 BC to 400 AD Collection: Egpytian Medium: Papyrus   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 5.24" (13.3cm) high x 2.8" (7.1cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze This  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 5.24" (13.3cm) high x 2.8" (7.1cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Bronze This thick-snouted fish with a long dorsal fin, pairs of ventral fins front and back, and a bipartite tail is a member of the Mormyrus genus, more commonly termed the Oxyrhynchus fish in Egyptological literature. The more common name of this fish is that of the village of Oxyrhynchus situated in the Egyptian Faiyum, the agriculturally-rich region to the southwest of modern Cairo. Hollow cast in bronze, this example is noteworthy for its extant inlaid eyes. It rests on a sledge, an ancient device on which cult statues were dragged in procession by priest. The fish wears as an attribute the horns of a cow fronted by a sun disc, behind which is a suspension loop which is frequently found on bronze statuettes, even those of somewhat large scale. Whether such statuettes were worn as attributes or whether the suspension loop served a different purpose is moot. The ancient Egyptian traditions which grew up around the Oxyrhynchus fish are varied and complex. The best known, preserved by Plutarch, a Greek priest of the oracle of Apollo at Delphi writing in the second century A.D., in chapter 72 of his monumental opus De Iside recounts how the citizens of Oxyrhynchus engaged in a bloody confrontation with the citizens of neighboring Kynopolis because the citizens of Kynopolis ate the Oxyrhynchus fish. That account in Plutarch differs from the two ancient Egyptian accounts of this fish, both of which are associated with the god Osiris. As one recalls, Osiris and his brother, Seth, became embroiled in a conflict for power with the result that Seth triumphed over Osiris. In so doing, he dismembered the body of Osiris and scattered it far and wide. Isis, the dutiful wife and, incidentally, sister of Osiris, gathered up the pieces and reassembled them, but not before the Oxyrhynchus fish ate his phallus. The phallus was necessary for the posthumous conception of Osiris’s son and heir, Horus. In another version of the myth, the Oxyrhynchus fish emerged from the wounds of Osiris himself. Whatever the truth in these matters might be, the Oxyrhynchus fish was inextricably associated with the god Osiris and revered by the ancient Egyptians. That reverence explains why this fish wears as attributes the sun disc and cow horns, associating it with Isis in her role as the reviver of her husband Osiris.   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 2323 BC to 2152 BC Dimensions: 18.125" (46.0cm) high x 12" (30.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: 6th Dynasty Medium: Limestone The image  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 2323 BC to 2152 BC Dimensions: 18.125" (46.0cm) high x 12" (30.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: 6th Dynasty Medium: Limestone The image depicts an elite member of Egyptian society who was the owner of the tomb from which this forceful vignette came. The owner is represented seated on a luxurious chair, designed with a curvilinear bolster-like back, and feline feet themselves resting upon inverted conical casters decorated with a series of concentric rings. In keeping with ancient Egyptian conventions, the tomb owner is bare- chested and, presumably, bare footed. He wears a simple, undecorated linen kilt, wrapped around his waist and secured into place with a belt. His accessories are limited to a broad collar, its multiple strands symbolically representing floral forms from which such attributes were originally crafted. He wears a short, bobbed wig arranged with parallel rows of short, tightly styled curls. The tomb owner is shown facing to the left and is holding one attribute in each hand. In general, only depictions of standing tomb owners represent them holding an object in each hand; seated depictions are generally shown holding only one attribute, and that attribute is usually a staff traditionally held in the hand of the elevated far arm, as it is indeed held in our relief. Our tomb owner appears to be holding a second attribute in his lowered hand as well. This attribute may perhaps to be identified as a shorter baton. The staff and baton are standard attributes for elite male members of Egyptian society during the Old Kingdom. Although rare, there are parallels for seated tomb owners holding a baton in one hand and a staff in the other from this period.   « Less