The figure is inscribed with a text of eight lines which translates as follows: 1) Illumine Osiris--Har, child of Hathor in the necropolis, when he says: O; 2) Ushabti, this  More »

The figure is inscribed with a text of eight lines which translates as follows: 1) Illumine Osiris--Har, child of Hathor in the necropolis, when he says: O; 2) Ushabti, this O Osiris--Har, child of Hathor in the necropolis; do the work that is to be done; 3) there in the necropolis. Then you will smite there, as a man about his affairs; 4) Behold me, say you, when one counts; 5) at any time, to act there in the necropolis; 6) to cause to grow the fields, to cause to fill the channels; 7) to carry sand from the east; 8) to the west. Behold me, say you. - (PF.0479)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 0.75" (1.9cm) high x .625" (1.6cm) wide x 1.25" (3.2cm) depth Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium:  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC Dimensions: 0.75" (1.9cm) high x .625" (1.6cm) wide x 1.25" (3.2cm) depth Collection: Egyptian Style: 26th Dynasty Medium: Faience Ancient Egyptian artists faced a dilemma. Although they had worked in clay for thousands of years, they had not mastered the glazing technique. But a modest material solved that problem and became revered. 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. This diminutive seal pendant is a masterpiece of intricacy. Originally, this ancient statuette would have been attached a chord and worn as a bracelet or necklace. Drilled holes just above the base attest to this use. Formed in the image of a porcupine, that spiny rodent that was hunted in Ancient Egypt for sport and food, the seal features the representation of a crocodile etched onto the base. When pressed onto wet clay or wax, this seal would have been used to ensure that a message or shipment of merchandize was not tampered with while en route to the hands of its intended recipient. Certain objects, masterpieces treasured in their own time, are of an eternal beauty that is easily appreciated regardless of era or culture. This amulet is one such stunning example; a reminder of how close the Ancient Egyptians were to their natural environment and the great diversity of wildlife that lived alongside them. - (PF.2995)   « Less

The 26th Dynasty, also known as the Saite Period, is traditionally placed by scholars at the end of the Third Intermediate Period or at the beginning of the Late Dynastic  More »

The 26th Dynasty, also known as the Saite Period, is traditionally placed by scholars at the end of the Third Intermediate Period or at the beginning of the Late Dynastic Period. In either case, the Saite Period rose from the ashes of a decentralized Egyptian state that had been ravaged by foreign occupation. Supported by the assistance of a powerful family centered in the Delta town of Sais, the Assyrians finally drove the Nubians out of Egypt. At the close of this campaign, Ashurbanipal’s kingdom was at the height of its power; however, due to civil strife back east, he was forced to withdraw his forces from Egypt. Psamtik I, a member of the family from Sais, seized this opportunity to assert his authority over the entire Nile Valley and found his own dynasty, the 26th of Egyptian history. Known as the Saite Period due to the importance of the capital city Sais, the 26th Dynasty, like many before it, sought to emulate the artistic styles of past pharaohs in order to bolster their own claims to power and legitimize their authority.   « Less

Egyptian Wooden Inscribed Mummy Tag - LO.1195 Origin: Egypt Circa: 200 BC to 200 AD Dimensions: 1.75" (4.4cm) high x 3.75" (9.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian  More »

Egyptian Wooden Inscribed Mummy Tag - LO.1195 Origin: Egypt Circa: 200 BC to 200 AD Dimensions: 1.75" (4.4cm) high x 3.75" (9.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Antiquities Medium: Wood   « Less

By far the most important amulet in ancient Egypt was the scarab, symbolically as sacred to the Egyptians as the cross is to Christians. Based upon the dung beetle, this  More »

By far the most important amulet in ancient Egypt was the scarab, symbolically as sacred to the Egyptians as the cross is to Christians. Based upon the dung beetle, this sacred creature forms a ball of dung around its semen and rolls it in a large ball over the sand dropping it into its burrow. The female lays her eggs on the ground and covers them with the excrement ball that is consumed by the larvae that emerge in the following days as if miraculously reborn. In the life cycle of the beetle, the Ancient Egyptians envisioned a microcosm of the daily rebirth of the sun. They imagined the ancient sun god Khepri was a great scarab beetle rolling the sun across the heavens. The scarab also became a symbol of the enduring human soul as well, hence its frequent appearance in funerary art. Scarabs of various materials form an important class of Egyptian antiquities. Though they first appeared in the late Old Kingdom (roughly 2575–2130 B.C.), scarabs remained rare until Middle Kingdom times (circa 1938-1600 B.C.) when they were fashioned in great numbers. While some were used as ornaments, others were purely amuletic in purpose. - (PF.0145)   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Ram Medium: Gold Condition: Extra Fine Khnum (Khnemu) "To Create." Egyptian ram god. Khnum was  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Ram Medium: Gold Condition: Extra Fine Khnum (Khnemu) "To Create." Egyptian ram god. Khnum was credited with creating life on a potter's wheel at the behest of the other gods. He was also said to control the annual inundation of the Nile, although the god Hapi physically generates the inundation. The goddesses Satis and Anuket assisted him in their supervisory role. His major cult center was on the Elephantine Island near the first cataract of the Nile (Near modern Aswan) where mummified rams sacred to Khnum have been found. He also had an important cult center at Esna, to the north of the first cataract. He was usually depicted inhuman form with a ram's head - the horns extending horizontally on either side of the head - often before a potter's wheel on which a naked human was being fashioned. - (LO.1396)   « Less

Terracotta Eros Flask - FF.052 Origin: Sinai/ Egypt Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high x 2.3" (5.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Art Style:  More »

Terracotta Eros Flask - FF.052 Origin: Sinai/ Egypt Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high x 2.3" (5.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Ptolomeic Medium: Terracotta   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1300 BC to 900 BC Dimensions: 1.1" (2.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Scarab Medium: Steatite By far the most important amulet in ancient  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1300 BC to 900 BC Dimensions: 1.1" (2.8cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Scarab Medium: Steatite By far the most important amulet in ancient Egypt was the scarab, symbolically as sacred to the Egyptians as the cross is to Christians. Based upon the dung beetle, this sacred creature forms a ball of dung around its semen and rolls it in a large ball over the sand dropping it into its burrow. The female lays her eggs on the ground and covers them with the excrement ball that is consumed by the larvae that emerge in the following days as if miraculously reborn. In the life cycle of the beetle, the Ancient Egyptians envisioned a microcosm of the daily rebirth of the sun. They imagined the ancient sun god Khepri was a great scarab beetle rolling the sun across the heavens. The scarab also became a symbol of the enduring human soul as well, hence its frequent appearance in funerary art. Scarabs of various materials form an important class of Egyptian antiquities. Though they first appeared in the late Old Kingdom (roughly 2575–2130 B.C.), scarabs remained rare until Middle Kingdom times (circa 1938-1600 B.C.) when they were fashioned in great numbers. While some were used as ornaments, others were purely amuletic in purpose. - (OS.033 )   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience By far the most important amulet  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC Dimensions: 1" (2.5cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Art Style: Late Dynastic Period Medium: Faience By far the most important amulet in ancient Egypt was the scarab, symbolically as sacred to the Egyptians as the cross is to Christians. Based upon the dung beetle, this sacred creature forms a ball of dung around its semen and rolls it in a large ball over the sand dropping it into its burrow. The female lays her eggs on the ground and covers them with the excrement ball that is consumed by the larvae that emerge in the following days as if miraculously reborn. In the life cycle of the beetle, the Ancient Egyptians envisioned a microcosm of the daily rebirth of the sun. They imagined the ancient sun god Khepri was a great scarab beetle rolling the sun across the heavens. The scarab also became a symbol of the enduring human soul as well, hence its frequent appearance in funerary art. Scarabs of various materials form an important class of Egyptian antiquities. Though they first appeared in the late Old Kingdom (roughly 2575–2130 B.C.), scarabs remained rare until Middle Kingdom times (circa 1938-1600 B.C.) when they were fashioned in great numbers. While some were used as ornaments, others were purely amuletic in purpose. - (OS.035 )   « Less

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1550 BC to 1075 BC Dimensions: 3.8 " (9.7cm) high x 5.8 " (14.7cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Stone It was during the New  More »

Origin: Egypt Circa: 1550 BC to 1075 BC Dimensions: 3.8 " (9.7cm) high x 5.8 " (14.7cm) wide Collection: Egyptian Style: New Kingdom Medium: Stone It was during the New Kingdom era that ancient Egypt reached the height of its power and military prowess. Territorial expansion into the Middle East and Nubia gave rise to phenomenal wealth and diversity within its own boundaries. The art of this period is exceptional in terms of the beauty of its execution and faithfulness to detail. This fragment, originally from the wall of a tomb or temple, is no exception. The surviving scene depicts a hand grasping three birds by their feathers. The body of the bird in the foreground is visible; the presence of the other two is indicated by their heads and necks. The composition, with the birds facing in different directions, adds a liveliness and dynamism to the scene. There are several possibilities as to the appearance of the panel in its original state. Visual representations of hunting were common in ancient Egypt, as it was thought to demonstrate the power and courage of the participants. Alternatively the birds may be offered as a votive gift to an unseen deity (the structure on the left is difficult to interpret in its current state). Traces of the original polychromy survive on the wrist and hand. Egyptian artists were fascinated by the natural world and this piece is a wonderful example of their skill in depicting it. (AM) - (SK.029 )   « Less