Origin: Egypt Circa: 1991 BC to 1786 BC Dimensions: 4" (10.2cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Middle Kingdom; 3rd Int. Period Medium: Basalt Although small in scale,  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1991 BC to 1786 BC Dimensions: 4" (10.2cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Middle Kingdom; 3rd Int. Period Medium: Basalt Although small in scale, this bust from a statuette is executed with a jewel-like precision. This elite member of Egyptian society is represented with his upper arms at the sides of his torso. That torso is well-modeled in asymmetrical, bi-partition with its pronounced sternal notch intersecting the pectoral muscles of the chest. His navel is designed as a slightly off-centered depression. His face is framed by a traditional and heavy shoulder-length wig which is tucked in behind the ears so that it falls to the chest in triangular points. In keeping with artistic tenets of the period, his ears appear to be disproportionately large in relationship to his head and mimic the relative size of ears on contemporary royal images. His brow is naturalistically rendered without the indication of eye brows and protrudes above deep sockets into which his elongated eyes with their heavy lids have been set. His nose is characterized by wide nostrils over a wide mouth with fleshy lips. Overall, the face gives one the impression of a somewhat corpulent but mature individual whose life experiences have been etched into his countenance.Images such as these have been described as depicting care-worn, concerned officials worrying about the plight of their contemporaries. Their expressions have been compared to the period’s literary compositions which decry corruption and advocate a return to socially-acceptable norms of behavior. These are concerns which strike a familiar chord in our own time and demonstrate, once again, the timelessness of ancient Egyptian art.References:For a recent assessment of such images and their relationship to the literature of the period, see D. Wildung [editor], Ägypten 2000 v.Chr. Die Geburt des Individuums (Munich 2000).- (X.0014)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 2 nd Century AD to 3 rd Century AD Dimensions: 18" (45.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Bronze This large, accomplished  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 2 nd Century AD to 3 rd Century AD Dimensions: 18" (45.7cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Bronze This large, accomplished figure was hollow cast via the lost-wax method. Her eyes were originally inlaid. She is depicted in the contraposto pose, in which the weight of the body is supported by the right leg while the left leg recedes and is moved slightly to the left. Her right arm is bent at the elbow and is held in front of the right side of the hip. The tips of the thumb and index finger meet to form a circle while the remaining fingers of that hand are spread. The circular form suggests that she was holding an attribute now lost in that hand. Her accessories include sandals laced high up on the ankle, an armlet and a broad collar from which is suspended a cordiform pendant. The pendant may be a heart amulet. An elaborate foliate headdress rising from a tiara-like base completes her accessories. The predominant form of the floral elements of the headdress are palmettes while the tiara-like base is fronted by an uraeus, the sacred, protecting cobra of ancient Egypt, over which, in the centre of the foliate elements, is a miniature composite element consisting of double ostrich feather plumes and a sun disc. Her long hair is parted in the center and coiffed in waves over each side of the head with its ends formed into cork-screw locks, one of their luxurious and sinuous ends resting on each shoulder.The clue to the identification of this magnificent but uninscribed figure resides in her accessories and pose. The cork-screw locks, uraeus-fronted tiara-like base, and central ornament of the headdress in the form of twin ostrich plumes and sun disc are insignia of the goddess Isis in the Graeco-Roman Period. The position of the right arm and the contraposto attitude of the nude body with the position of the feet is a conscious evocation of the famed Knidian Aphrodite by Praxiteles created in the fourth century BC and best known from a marble copy of Roman date now in the collections of the Vatican. These attributes and attitude taken together suggest that the figure is a depiction of the Egyptian goddess Isis combining characteristics and traits of the Classical goddess Aphrodite/Venus. The syncretistic, religious tendencies of the Roman Imperial Period, to which time this idol is dated, enabled the cult of the goddess Isis to incorporate into it aspects of other goddesses of the Graeco-Roman world. So extensive was this incorporation of other cults into that of this goddess, that Isis was known to the Romans as the “goddess of a thousand names,” each name apparently alluding to the characteristics incorporated into her being from other deities.The goddess may have functioned as an ex-voto dedicated in a sanctuary in thanks for a prayer answered or in anticipation of a prayer granted. Her full-figure resonates with overtones of fecundity, appropriate to Aphrodite/Venus, the goddess of love, whom the Romans worshipped as an alma Venus, ‘Venus the nourishing.” This aspect of Aphrodite/Venus is consistent with the fundamental role of Isis as the loving wife and nurturing mother. The figure, therefore, demonstrates the genius of the artists of the Roman Imperial Period who could combine into one and the same figure the body-type associated in Greece and Rome with Aphrodite/ Venus, and the accessories specific to the Egyptian goddess Isis.There are several images of such figures in public collections, that in the Brooklyn Museum of Art, however, being somewhat less accomplishedReferences:The Brooklyn Museum, Late Egyptian and Coptic Art. An Introduction to the Collections in The Brooklyn Museum (Brooklyn 1943), plate 24.R.R.R. Smith, Hellenistic Sculpture (London 1991), plate 98, figures 1-2, for the Vatican Knidian Aphrodite.Ancient Art to Post-Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, Royal Academy, (London, 2004), p. 47, No. 26. - (X.0082)   « Less

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

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1580 BC to 1085 BC Dimensions: 5.75" (14.6cm) high Catalogue: V1 Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Granite Additional Information: Found in Sinai, Egypt 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

Origin: Egypt Circa: 380 BC to 200 BC Dimensions: 26" (66.0cm) high x 16" (40.6cm) wide x 4.875" (12.4cm) depth Collection: Egyptian Style: 30th Dynasty/Early Ptolemaic  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 380 BC to 200 BC Dimensions: 26" (66.0cm) high x 16" (40.6cm) wide x 4.875" (12.4cm) depth Collection: Egyptian Style: 30th Dynasty/Early Ptolemaic Period Medium: Limestone This monument is in the form of a niche stela, its top crowned by a cavetto cornice fronted by a sun disc flanked on each side by a uraeus, the protective cobra of ancient Egypt. Below is a framed panel depicting a male figure wearing a belted kilt, with a prominent central flap perhaps representing a decorative apron, who kneels on a nebu-sign, the hieroglyph for “gold.” There is a sun disc atop his head and he holds a notched palm frond in each hand. The palm fronds represent the hieroglyph for “year” and are notched. Each notch symbolically represents a number of years. Taken together the figural decoration within the niche is a rebus, or visual pun, which can be “read” as a hieroglyphic phrase to be translated something on the order of, “millions upon millions of years [of life].”The nebu-sign is a frequent base for support deities in ancient Egyptian two- dimensional art, and inclines one to identify the kneeling figure as the god, Heh, a personification of infinity. Heh came to be identified as the god of eternal life. His image is often associated with pharaohs not only as an expression of their eternal existence in the Hereafter but also as an expression of the desire that their rule over Egypt would be both long and prosperous. The pharaoh associated here with Heh has not been named, as the blank rectangle, intended to hold an inscription, in the field to the upper right of the figure reveals.The design of the niche stela and the style in which the god Heh is rendered can be paralleled in any number of similar stelae in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, which are dated to the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods, to which time this example certainly belongs. Its virtually perfect, unblemished state of preservation enhances its significance as an eternal monument and would convey expressions of longevity on its owner.- (X.0110)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 380 BC to 200 BC Dimensions: 3" (7.6cm) depth Collection: Egyptian Style: 30th Dynasty/Early Ptolemaic Period Medium: Faience Faience, which dates  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 380 BC to 200 BC Dimensions: 3" (7.6cm) depth Collection: Egyptian Style: 30th Dynasty/Early Ptolemaic Period Medium: Faience Faience, which dates back to pre-dynastic times, of at least 5,000 years, is a glasslike non-clay substance made of materials common to Egypt: ground quartz, crushed quartz pebbles, flint, a soluble salt-like baking soda, lime and ground copper, which provided the characteristic color. The dried objects went into kilns looking pale and colorless but emerged a sparkling "Egyptian blue." Called tjehnet by the ancient Egyptians, meaning that which is brilliant or scintillating, faience was thought to be filled with the undying light of the sun, moon and stars and was symbolic of rebirth. Ancient Egyptians believed the small blue-green objects helped prepare them for eternity in the afterlife.The first examples of amulets appeared in Ancient Egypt as early as 4000 B.C. Believed to possess magical powers that protected the wearer or bestowed upon the properties they symbolized, amulets were worn both by the living as well as the dead. Throughout their evolution, talismans were crafted from a variety of materials including precious metals such as gold and silver, semiprecious stone like jasper and carnelian, as well as other more affordable glazed compositions such as faience. The particular powers of an individual amulet was based upon its specific shape, although the material and even the color of the charm could affect its magical abilities. While many of the amulets created to be worn by the living could also be worn after death, there also existed a specific group of charms that were made specifically to be placed upon the mummified remains of the deceased. All together, amulets represent a important class of Ancient Egyptian art that furthers our understanding of their complex religious beliefs.The lion is a symbol of strength and ferocity. The largest of the cat family, this animal is known as the “king of the beasts.” They are equally feared and respected for their power, speed, and intimidating growl. Kings and rulers have associated themselves with this noble creature since the days of antiquity, as this gorgeous blue/green faience amulet attests to. The lion is depicted lying down on a rectangular base that is slightly rounded at the back. He holds his forepaws in front of his body and his tail curls around his right hind leg, in a classic pose recalling a royal sphinx, only without the human head. The work is expertly modeled and finely detailed, specifically the stylized mane with incised lines replicating the texture of fur and the powerful musculature evident in the lion’s ribcage. A ribbed suspension loop connected to the shoulders would have allowed this work to be worn, hanging from a necklace, bringing the wearer good luck and aversion to evil. - (X.0115)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 332 BC Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience Faience, which dates back to  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 332 BC Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience Faience, which dates back to pre-dynastic times, of at least 5,000 years, is a glasslike non-clay substance made of materials common to Egypt: ground quartz, crushed quartz pebbles, flint, a soluble salt-like baking soda, lime and ground copper, which provided the characteristic color. The dried objects went into kilns looking pale and colorless but emerged a sparkling "Egyptian blue." Called tjehnet by the ancient Egyptians, meaning that which is brilliant or scintillating, faience was thought to be filled with the undying light of the sun, moon and stars and was symbolic of rebirth. In the cultural renaissance of the 26th Dynasty, also known as the Saite Period (when work was produced), a green, the color of the Nile and evocative of the verdant landscape in springtime, was particularly popular.The ibis was a sacred bird in Ancient Egyptian mythology, most closely identified with the moon god Thoth, the messanger of the sun god Ra, who is often represented as an ibis-headed man or as a baboon. The name “Thoth” is actually the Greek term used to refer to this deity, whom the Greeks closely identified with Hermes, their messenger to the gods. Thoth, like Hermes, was credited as the inventor of astronomy, writing, and mathmatics. Here, Thoth is represented as an ibis, gorgeously rendered with dark blue glazed highlights added to his eyes, claws, and tail feathers. In front of the bird, just below his arching beak, a crouching woman is present. She can be identified as Maat, the wife of Thoth, recognizably by the relatively large ostrich feather that crowns her head. Maat was the personification of the fundamental order of the universe, without which all of creation would perish.This diminutive pendent is a masterpiece of intricacy. Originally, this ancient statuette would have been worn as a pendant hung on a necklace, as is evident from the ribbed suspension loop present on the bird’s back. Surely, given the symbolic significance of these two deities and the intricate detail of the carving, this pendant would have been worn by an elite member of Ancient Egyptian society. Certain objects, masterpieces treasured in their own time, are of an eternal beauty that is easily appreciated regardless of era or culture. This pendant is one such stunning example; a reminder of the tremendous splendor humanity is able to create when at the apex of a great civilization. - (X.0119)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1 st Century BC to 1 st Century AD Dimensions: 54" (137.2cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Ptolemaic /Early Roman Period Medium:  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1 st Century BC to 1 st Century AD Dimensions: 54" (137.2cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Late Ptolemaic /Early Roman Period Medium: Cartonnage The preservation of the physical remains of the deceased was an essential aspect of Egyptian funerary practices. As mummification techniques became more and more advanced over time, so did the cartonnage coffins become more and more elaborate. The cartonnage was manufactured by putting several layers of linen (or, much later, papyrus) on top of each other and molding it into a human form with the help of a cast. Finally, the surface of the cartonnage was painted and decorated in vibrant colors, sometimes including gilding.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. However, by the Third Intermediate Period, the use of cartonnage to create these innermost coffins was revived, perhaps because the material lends itself to bright painting. Although cartonnage fell out of usage during the Late Period, it was again revived under the rule of the Greek Ptolemaic Kings, beginning in the reign of Ptolemy III and lasting until the earliest days of the Roman Period (3rd Century B.C.-1st Century A.D.).While linen was still employed on some mummy masks and other elements, the majority of works were made utilizing recycled waste papyri. These discarded texts included both public and private documents withdrawn from use as well as literary fragments. Because of the nature of the technique, layering pieces of papyrus over one another and then covering them with plaster, these cartonnages are one of the best sources for finely preserved papyrus scrolls. Today, these Ptolemaic era masks are highly valued by scholars for the fascinating documents they provide.This gorgeous cartonnage mummy ensemble reveals that traditional Egyptian funerary customs continued to flourish even under the rule of the Greek Ptolemies. Originally, the pieces would have been attached to the outer wrappings of a mummy. The intricate painted and gilt details are truly spectacular. The gilt face shines with the light of life, made more luminous by the tri-partite wig, painted blue, that frames it. Flanking the neck, adorning the tips of the wig, two depictions of Osiris seated surmount twin panels featuring a decorative pattern of Uraei cobras. The pectoral portion of the ensemble features a prominent winged solar disc at the top with a fantastic collar below that has been carefully painted to imitate beadwork. At the bottom, the winged sky goddess Nut has been depicted kneeling to the right, her head crowned by a solar disk. The lower apron panel has been embellished with a similar colorful beaded and floral motif, framed at the top by a winged scarab flanked by falcon heads symbolizing Horus. At the bottom, the foot case has been painted yellow, echoing the gilt flesh of the face. In a very charming gesture, the feet have been painted wearing sandals, as if the mummified body once contained within this cartonnage case was ready to walk right into the afterlife. - (X.0123)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 6 th Century BC to 4 th Century BC Dimensions: 1.125" (2.9cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: 30th Dynasty Medium: Faience The Ancient Egyptians  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 6 th Century BC to 4 th Century BC Dimensions: 1.125" (2.9cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: 30th Dynasty Medium: Faience The Ancient Egyptians believed that the pharaoh was the living incarnation of the sky god Horus, who was traditionally depicted as a falcon or a falcon-headed man. Son of Isis, Horus was conceived after his father Osiris was resurrected for one night. He would grow to avenge his father’s death, and as such, Horus was a symbol of victory and the kingship, the deification of the earthly Pharaoh. In fact, in the earliest form of hieroglyphics, the falcon symbol was a general determinative for a god. Falcons, who rule the skies with their stealth and cunning, capable of swooping down from the clouds at lightning speed and clutching their prey in sharp talons, were considered the Kings of the Air. Thus, the animal’s connection to the Horus, the King of the Sky, is quite logical. From the earliest days of the pharaonic era, the hawk was associated with royalty, often represented in paintings hovering over the king with wings spread wide. During the Late Period, some falcon sculptures include an image of the king standing between the bird’s legs, clearly establishing the relationship between these two figures. Although there is no kingly figure present between the legs of this falcon, this amulet can still be interpreted as a representation of the god Horus, and thus, of the pharaoh. This diminutive pendent is a masterpiece of intricacy. Originally, this ancient statuette would have been worn as a pendant hung on a necklace, as is evident from the ribbed suspension loop present on the falcon’s back. The details are truly remarkable. Each individual feather has been indicated by incised lines. Although highly stylized, the effect is highly naturalistic, even recreating the different texture of the feathers from the shorter ones on the top of his head to the longer ones on the tips of his wings. The scaly texture of his talons has also been realistically captured. Surely, given the symbolic significance of Horus and the absolute mastery of the carving, this pendant was worn only by an elite member of Ancient Egyptian society who must have been closely associated with the Pharaoh. Certain objects, masterpieces treasured in their own time, are of an eternal beauty that is easily appreciated regardless of era or culture. This pendant is one such stunning example; a reminder of the tremendous splendor humanity is able to create when at the apex of a great civilization. - (X.0131)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 2 nd Century AD Dimensions: 10.75" (27.3cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Limestone The grinning dwarf god Bes was one of  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 2 nd Century AD Dimensions: 10.75" (27.3cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: Roman Period Medium: Limestone The grinning dwarf god Bes was one of the most popular deities in the Egyptian pantheon, one whose worship was absorbed almost intact into Hellenistic culture. He was a popular subject for amulets, and part of his appeal appears to have been the perception that he was more accessible and willing to listen to the common man than were the intimidating national gods such as Amun, Osiris, or Horus. In addition to being a patron god of music and art, Bes was believed to protect mankind from all evil and malevolence and thus is a fitting subject for amulets. He was also held to be a protector of pregnant women, amusing them during childbirth so that they forget the pain. Bes is usually depicted as a dwarf with a face that is both leonine and human. Here, he is represented nude squatting down with bent knees, brandishing a sword in his raised right hand and clenching a snake in his lowered left hand, as if about to decapitate this serpent. He is shown with his characteristic leonine beard and plumed headdress. Created during the Roman Period, when the Emperors of Rome ruled over the land of Egypt, this impressive relief panel is a testament to the popularity of Bes during this period of heavy Classical influence. - (X.0137)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1500 BC Dimensions: 5.5" (14.0cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Stone, Paint The preservation of the physical remains of the  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1500 BC Dimensions: 5.5" (14.0cm) high Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Stone, Paint The preservation of the physical remains of the deceased was an essential aspect of Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs. During the mummification process, an incision was made on the side of the body, through which all of the major organs were removed. In the earliest tombs, the organs were simply wrapped in cloth and placed in small niches carved into the walls of the structure. However, by as early as the 4th Dynasty, the organs were placed in simple stone or pottery canopic jars featuring unadorned, flat or slightly domed lids. Although the First Intermediate Period were chaotic times in Egyptian history, it represented an age of innovation for arts relating to the canopic rites. For the first time, the jar lids took on the form of human and animal heads. Later, by the end of the Middle Kingdom, canopic equipment had achieved classic standard that we identify the term with today.Here, we find an outer stone chest, associated with the stone sarcophagus, and an inner wooden chest representing the coffin and divided into four sections. These four sections held four separate jars, complete with texts, meant to hold the four major organs. These four human organs were identified with the four sons of Horus, each of whom was referred to as a genius. They included the liver, identified with the genius Imsety; the lungs, identified with Hapy; the stomach, identified with Duamute; and the intestines, associated with Kebehsenuef. Yet it was not until the 18th Dynasty that images of these four genii became the focus of the decorative scheme and the lids of the canopic jars were modeled after their heads. Imsety was recognizable as a human, while Hapy took the form of a baboon, Duamutef that of a jackal, and Kebehsenuef that of a hawk. During this time as well, the common material out of which the jars were made broadened to include wood, pottery, cartonnage, calcite, and limestone.This gorgeous lid to a canopic jar representing the human-headed deity Imsety reveals how extraordinarily sophisticated such work became during the height of their evolution. When one considers how meager the first viscera containers were, the artistry of this piece seems that much more remarkable. Imsety was the deity who presided over the liver, so we can safely assume that this lid once sealed a jar holding the remnants of this major organ inside. The carving of his human head is simply stunning. His facial features are all carefully rendered, including his incised eyes, bulbous nose, and full lips. A standard wig crowns his head and frames his large ears. The surface of the face retains the majority of the original pigment that the artist applied to the work in order to heighten the sense of realism. Considering the ravages of time and how vulnerable this work was, the survival of the original coloring is quite remarkable. - (X.0154)   « Less