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These schematic models of houses with modelled clay offerings were placed in tombs of the Late First Intermediate Period and the Middle Kingdom to be given to the soul of the deceased. It illustrates the domestic architecture of the time.
Pottery
Middle Kingdom, 12th dynasty
Middle Egypt
NMEC National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Fustat Cairo
Table games were very much appreciated in ancient Egypt with the most popular being Senet. The game was for two people and played on a rectangular board with the upper surface divided into thirty squares; probably the game consisted of moving tokens around the board following the throw of small battens that corresponded to our modern dice. The lower surface of the board was used for playing the twenty-square game.
Tutankhamun had four senet boards of which the largest was the most lavish. The squares were inlaid with ivory and the board itself rests on a small frame with supports in the form of lion' paws and fitted with runners. The drawer on the short side was found empty and removed from its housing and, as the tokens were missing, it is supposed that they were made from a valuable material and stolen by the tomb thieves. The token shown in the picture belonged to other, less magnificent, boards.
During the New Kingdom, Senet took on a magical-religious value and in the introductory formula in Chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead, it was considered essential that the deceased played a game against an invisible opponent to ensure his survival.
Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun's tomb KV62
18th dynasty
JE 62059 - SR 1/82 - 580
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
A granite sarcophagus lid of dwarf Djeho was discovered at Saqqara by James Quibell in 1911.
The biography on the sarcophagus's lid tells us that Djeho was a dancer in burial ceremonies connected to the sacred Apis and Memphis bulls.
Djeho shared a tomb with his master Tjaiharpta, which indicates that he belonged to the household of a high official and had a favoured position with his patron.
The profile image of the dwarf depicts the owner at life size, measuring 120 cm. The naked figure of the dwarf is carved on the lid of his sarcophagus and is of superb quality.
From Saqqara
Late Period, 30th dynasty, Reign of Nectanebo II
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
Funerary equipment of Sennedjem
New Kingdom, 19th dynasty
Tomb of Sennedjem TT1, Deir el-Medina
NMEC National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Fustat Cairo
The crown, the crook and the flail infer that Osiris was a king; the white, shroudlike costume that he is a dead king, for the shroud represents the bandages that were used in mummification. Thy myth of Osiris tells how he once ruled Egypt as king until he was betrayed and murdered by his brother Seth. He died but was resurrected thanks to his wife, Isis, whose love and loyalty made his resurrection possible.
Wood
From Minya
Late Period
BAAM 633
Antiquities Museum of Bibliotheca Alexandrina
A collection of amulets represented Bes, god of dancing, music and all kinds of pleasure, also worshipped as the protector of children and pregnant women. He is represented here as the dwarf with curved legs resting his hands on his thighs.
Antiquities Museum of Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Bovine-legged beds dating from the Predynastic Period onward have been found in the funerary context all over Egypt. In the Middle Kingdom coffins appear that seem to combine the rectangular coffins of that time with the lion bier. It is merely a logical development to add feline heads to the already lion-legged beds. In the Greco-Roman Period, they are no longer simple coffins or beds but combine features of both. (Ancient Egyptian Coffins, Strudwick & Dawson)
Mummy bed of Nedjemib, called Tutu
Late Ptolemaic Period
from Akhim
SR/ 11359/4
Upper floor, gallery 21
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
This shabti shows the king wearing a blue and gold striped nemes, with two flaps at the front and a uraeus. Tutankhamun holds a heqa sceptre and a flail. His thin face has slightly raised black eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes painted black and white, a small nose and a wide mouth with full lips. A usekh collar hangs around his neck. Six columns of hieroglyphs with Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead cover the lower part of the statuette.
The term shabti derives from the ancient Egyptian meaning 'answerer', and refer to the moment when the deceased is called upon to perform hard labour in the fields of the underworld. The statuettes were considered to be substitutes for the deceased.
Tutankhamun's tomb contained 413 shabti figures, only relatively few of which were inscribed. Of the total number, 236 were found in the Annexe, 176 in the Treasury and just one in the Antechamber. They had originally been kept in wooden caskets with inlays of beaten gold or bronze. The shabtis were made from a variety of materials, including wood that was gessoed and painted, and stone.
The larger shabti figures varied in form, size and attributes. They were differentiated above all by their headdresses (the Red Crown of the North, the White Crown of the South, the nemes, the afnet headcloth and a type of cylindrical helmet) and inscriptions. The statuettes portray a figure with youthful features.
Wood, gold, bronze, height 48 cm
Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun's tomb KV62
18th dynasty
JE 60828
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
This fragment probably comes from a chair, that was part of a funeral assemblage. Some of the inscription is still readable: "Osiris, great god, ruler of eternity. Made for the singer of Amun Ruji and singer of Amun Sat...".
The cult of Amun rose significance during the 18th dynasty. It has been speculated that Pharaoh Akhenaten tried to suppress the worship of Amun partly because of the power of priests of Amun. The child Pharaoh Tutankhamon, son of Akhenaten restored the worship of Amun. Finally, the clergy owned such a large share of Egypt's land, ships and other property that their power equalled that of the Pharaoh and Egyptian religion started to approach monotheism.
Wood
21st dynasty
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
From the collection of The Finnish Egyptological Society
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
Organic material, linen
Greek Period
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
From the collection of Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
The ibis bird was one of the most widely worshipped animals in Ancient Egypt. A huge number of ibis mummies dating from the Late and Greco-Roman Period bear witness to the great devotion to the god Thoth, usually depicted as an ibis-headed man and worshipped as the god of writing and knowledge.
Organic material, linen
Late Period
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
From the collection of Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
Hidden away in the hills of Northwest India, some 200 miles from the busy streets of Mumbai, emerge a magnificent jewel of art and religion: the Ajanta Caves. There are about 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 or 650 CE. The Ajanta cave paintings and rock cut sculptures are described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive painting that present emotion through gesture, pose and form. According to UNESCO, these are masterpieces of Buddhist religious art that influenced Indian art that followed. The caves were built in two phases, the first group starting around the 2nd century BC, while the second group of caves built around 400–650 AD according to older accounts, or all in a brief period of 460 to 480 according to Walter M. Spink.
Mural paintings survive from both the earlier and later groups of caves. Several fragments of murals preserved from the earlier caves (Caves 9 and 11) are effectively unique survivals of ancient painting in India from this period, and “show that by Sātavāhana times, if not earlier, the Indian painter had mastered an easy and fluent naturalistic style, dealing with large groups of people in a manner comparable to the reliefs of the Sāñcī toraņa crossbars”. Four of the later caves have large and relatively well-preserved mural paintings which, states James Harle, “have come to represent Indian mural painting to the non-specialist”, and represent “the great glories not only of Gupta but of all Indian art”. They fall into two stylistic groups, with the most famous in Caves 16 and 17, and apparently later paintings in Caves 1 and 2. The Ajanta frescos are classical paintings and the work of confident artists, without cliches, rich and full. They are luxurious, sensuous and celebrate physical beauty, aspects that early Western observers felt were shockingly out of place in these caves presumed to be meant for religious worship and ascetic monastic life.
The main colours used were red ochre, yellow ochre, brown ochre, lamp black, white and lapis lazuli which was imported from Northern India, central Asia and Persia. The green was made by mixing this lapis lazuli with Indian yellow ochre. In the pictorial cycles, all the characters are bright and multi-coloured but are never repeated, a fundamental concept in Indian art. Ceilings, walls and pilasters are all covered with overlapping figures, brought to life by the artists with strong and contrasting colours. The painting techniques at Ajanta are similar to European fresco technique. The primary difference is that the layer of plaster was dry when it was painted. First, a rough plaster of clay, cow dung, and rice husks were pressed on to the rough cave walls. This was then coated with lime juice in order to create a smooth working surface.
Source: www.openart.in/history/ajanta-cave-paintings-brief-note/
Statues depicting workers in the bread industry grinding wheat on a plate to prepare flour.
Wood
Old Kingdom, 6th dynasty
Provenance Saqqara
NMEC National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Cairo
Sandstone block bearing an inscription of the 16th year of Queen Hatshepsut. On the right, dressed as a king, Hatshepsut offers to Sopt, Lord of the East. On the left, her co-regent, Tuthmosis III, offers to Hathor, who is described as 'The Lady of Turquoise'.
The name of the official who led the military expedition, which was probably to obtain turquoise, and who cut the stela in honour of the royal pair, has disappeared.
Wadi Maghara (Sinai)
18th dynasty
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
Block statue of a priest called Djed Khonsu Iou.ef Ankh seated in a squatting position and holding in his hands symbols of power and wealth. Six lines in relief cover the statue with the names and titles of the owner and his ancestors and prayers to the gods, and the back of the statue is also covered with hieroglyphic inscriptions. The priest wears a wig and appears serene. The base of the statue is covered with inscription offerings to the god Amun-Ra. The statue was discovered in the Karnak Cache.
The first examples of block statues date back to the Middle Kingdom. They continued to exist until the Late Egyptian Period. The massive form of the statues protected them from breakage. In addition, it offered a large surface for inscriptions. Some of these statues have simple offering verses or record an idealized version of the person portrayed, emphasizing his greatest virtues. Placing a similar statue of oneself within the temple was naturally a privilege reserved above all to those who performed some service directly for the god, namely priests.
The inscriptions on some of these statues indicate that reading the hieroglyphic text incised on the statue acted as a form of prayer for the deceased person represented. The pilgrim capable of reading would have performed a charitable act simply by pausing in front of the statue and pronouncing what is written. By invoking the name of the figure, his memory was thus perpetuated in the realm of gods, allowing him to make conceptual use of any offerings, which were his nourishment in the eternal afterlife.
Siltstone
Provenance Karnak Temple, Thebes
26th dynasty, reign of Psamtek I
BAAM 597
Antiquities Museum of Bibliotheka Alexandrina
This group of statues portrays the family of Neferherenptah, a Wah priest who supervised the funerary cult of the two great kings of the Fourth Dynasty, Khufu and Menkaure.
Neferherenptah, also known as Fifi, the head of the family is represented as a characteristic pose for male statuary. His statue rests on a base that rises at the back to form a wide dorsal pillar. Both pillar and base are painted black although areas of this colour are now faded.
Fifi wears a medium-length curly black wig that covers his ears completely. A white and blue usekh necklace hangs around his neck. He is dressed in a short white kilt with a belt in relief at the waist. Fifi's plump face has large painted eyes with blue irises topped by long raised eyebrows that follow the shape of his eyes slanting gently down at the outer ends. His calm gaze appears to be directed heavenwards. His nose is fairly large and broad and a narrow moustache above his small, fleshy mouth provides a decorative touch.
Fifi's body is well proportioned and with visible if not prominent muscles. Regardless of its relatively small size and a certain rigidity of form, this statuette is an appealing example of the sculpture produced at the end of the Fifth Dynasty. Inside the serdab Fifi's tomb his statuette was placed in the centre, between his daughter (on the left) and his wife (right), while the couple's son was on the far side of his sister.
The statuette of Satmeret, Fifi's wife, stands on a low base with a dorsal pillar. Her rather stiff pose contrasts with the bright colours that are a striking feature of the statuette. Smaller in size than her husband, Satmeret is portrayed standing with her arms held rigidly against her body, hands on her thighs. She is wearing a medium-length black wig, its curls created with tiny grooves. On her forehead, her real hair can just be seen beneath the edge of the wig. The rigidity of her body is also reflected in her facial features: her wide-open eyes have dilated pupils, painted black. Her nose is short and her mouth appears to be firmly closed. Around her neck, she wears a multicoloured collar and a wide usekh necklace comprised of rows painted blue, white and red. Hanging from the necklace is another adornment: a wide rectangular band formed of rows of variously coloured beads, adding a colourful note to her white robe. The robe is tight-fitting and long, reaching to her calves. The fabric is meant to be flimsy and elegant, revealing the form of her body underneath. Her well-rounded breasts, stomach muscles and shapely legs - barely concealed - offer a striking, perhaps even deliberate contrast with the conventional posture and rigidity of the rest of the sculpture.
Although the statuette of Itisen, the couple's son, is smaller in size he is depicted as an adult rather than a child. He is sitting on a cube-shaped seat with a plinth but no back. His clenched right hand is placed vertically on his knee, his left hand is palm down. He is wearing a curly black wig, shorter than his father's, that follows the lines of his face. Around his neck is the white outline (not painted) of a broad necklace. He is clothed in a short white kilt with a pleated border, held up by a belt with a small piece of material projecting from it.
Itisen has a rather round face and large eyes with black-painted pupils surmounted by painted eyebrows in relief. His nose is neatly shaped, and his slightly protruding mouth is not wide but has fleshy lips. His slender neck is set on broad shoulders that contrast with his lean torso, divided vertically by a median groove that narrows noticeably towards the waist. Although thin his knees and legs are meticulously carved; their shape makes it possible to visualize the bone structure beneath. His skin is painted dark ochre. Like the statuettes of his parents, Itisen is also characterized by a marked rigidity of form, only partly relieved and brightened by the strong colours.
Of the four statuettes found in the serdab of Neferherenptah's mastaba, that of Meretites, sister of Itisen, is the most expressive. Admittedly it lacks much of the colour that in some way gives life and luminosity to the others, but the almost ecstatic look of Meretite's face and the soft lines of her body confer a particular elegance and hieratic grace. Slightly larger than her brother he is represented in the classic seated pose with her hands open, palms down on her knees. She is wearing an ankle-length robe and as a note of adornment, a broad, unpainted necklace. Covering her head is a rather voluminous, medium-length wig with tiny braids that start from a central parting. On her forehead, her real hair can just be seen beneath the edge of the wig. She is leaning her head very slightly backwards with the result that her rather wide face seems to be turned upwards. Her eyes too appear to be raised towards some unknown point and have an almost inspired look. Her nose is regular and her mouth, carved with soft, precise lines, has pronounced lips. Meretites has a straight back, less prominent breasts than her mother and more rounded torso and hips. She appears to have been fashioned in keeping with older aesthetic canons dating back to between the end of the Third and the beginning of the Fourth Dynasties.
(Egyptian Treasures from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, ed. Tiraditti)
From priest's mastaba tomb,
Giza cemetery
JE 87804, JE 87805, JE 87806, JE 87807
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
On the outer surface at the sides is a rare portrayal is the deceased's funeral some 2900 years ago. It must be seen from the left to the right. After the weeper-women and the bearers of the grave goods, the series ends with the ritual of opening the mouth. The ritual is conducted in front of the grave by a priest of Sem, who restores to the deceased abilities he had in life: to be able to hear, speak, digest food, and procreate. At the extreme right, the wife of the deceased bids her last farewell to the mummy which is standing before the grave.
New Kingdom, 21st dynasty
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
From the collection of the National Museum of Finland,
14460:660 Cat 173
The sides of the throne are decorated with a baboon; on the left side, he is holding a special mirror, called ankhet, which was associated with the ritual of rebirth and with sun symbolism.
A detail of the group statue depicting a nurse and four princes and princesses.
Painted limestone
18th dynasty, no provenance
(JE 98831)
NMEC National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Fustat Cairo
Sokar was the ancient celestial god of the Memphis region. He was associated with craftsmanship, which is why he is often united with Ptah, the god of craftsmanship and the chief god of Memphis. These gods were joined by another god, Osiris. Since the New Kingdom Ptah-Sokar-Osiris became almost more popular than Osiris himself. Books of the Dead were often hidden inside Ptah-Sokar-Osiris statues.
Wood
Late Period
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
From the collection of Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
New Kingdom, 19th dynasty
Provenance: Thebes, Karnak / temple of Amun
Cat. 767 Museo Egizio
The exhibition 'Nefertari and the Valley of the Queens' from the Museo Egizio, Turin' in the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, 2017
Model of pottery building divided into three sections with small wall-mounted statues - similar to Osirion ones.
Pottery
Provenance Al-Qurnah
BAAM 810
Antiquities Museum of Bibliotheca Alexandrina
A coffin lid, or alternatively a mummy board, has been found in the vicinity of Theba with nine small shabti statues. The mummy boards were corpse-shaped wooden boards evolved from the lids of the coffins, placed on top of the mummy.
The objects were part of the Egyptian Khedive ruler's donation to the Russian emperor in the 1890s, 10 of which were further donated to the Helsinki Historical Museum in 1895. The cover of the anthropomorphic or human-shaped coffin has a deceased resting with its arms crossed next to it, as well as the sacred ibis, scarabs, priests, and nine rows of hieroglyphs.
Wood
21st dynasty
From the collection of the National Museum of Finland
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
This head of a colossal statue of Hatshepsut would once have crowned one of the Osirian pillars that decorated the portico of the third terrace of the queen's temple at Deir el-Bahri. It was discovered there in 1926 by the mission of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The portico was divided into two by a granite portal which preceded the 'Festival Hall', on to which opened the more intimate rooms of the temple and the sanctuary of Amun.
Some of the characteristic stylistic features of the statuary of Hatshepsut are present in this head. The face is triangular and the features are very delicate. The striking almond-shaped eyes, decorated with a line of kohl extending to the temples, have large dilated pupils, imparting a sense of innocence and purity. The slightly arched nose is long and slim. The small mouth is set in a faint smile. The same face is found not only on many other statues of the queen but also on those representing private individuals of the same period.
One unusual element is the dark red colour of the skin, usually a feature of male images, it is justified in this case by the fact that the queen is represented here as a pharaoh in Osirian form. The false beard painted blue emphasizes the divine nature of the 'king'. The blue colour of lapis lazuli, together with gold, signified divinity.
From what remains of the queen's headdress, it can be deduced that she wore the Double Crown symbolizing the union between Upper and Lower Egypt.
JE 56259 A - 56262
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
This gilded cartonnage mask shows Yuya wearing a long wig. His eyebrows and eyes are inlaid with blue glass, marble and obsidian. He wears an elaborate collar that goes beneath his wig. It consists of eleven rows of golden beads and it ends in teardrop-shaped pendants. The inside of the mask is covered in bitumen.
Titles of Yuya:
King’s Lieutenant
Master of the Horse
Father-of-the-god
18th dynasty
From the Valley of the Kings, KV46
Tomb of Yuya and Tuya
Upper floor, gallery 43
CG51008 - JE 95316-SR93
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
Elongated tools with a hook on the end were used in mummification. These hooks were probably used for removing the brains through the nose. In the Late Period, especially during the 26th dynasty, the brain could also be left inside the mummy. All in all, the mummification process consisted of several phases depending on the level of sophistication.
Bronze
Undated
Provenance unknown
Cat. 6324/1 Museo Egizio (lower)
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
From the collection of Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
This anthropomorphic coffin belonged to an unknown person, probably a woman. The coffin and the mummy wrapped in bandages of varying widths probably originate from the Late Period, when the sophistication of mummification declined remarkably compared to the preceding Third Intermediate Period, which marks the high point of mummification.
During the Late Period, a typical modest funeral complement included the following items: an anthropomorphic inner coffin, a rectangular outer qrsw coffin, a shabti box containing shabti statuettes, four canopic jars, and occasionally a box for holding them, a wooden stela, a wood sculpture of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris and possibly a number of pottery jars and other objects. However, the Late Period saw the gradual disappearance of most everyday objects from burial chambers.
Late Period
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
From the collection of Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
El Templo de Karnak es el templo más grande de Egipto y aún hoy en día se siguen encontrando restos y sigue siendo reconstruido.
...della splendida statua del dioscuro Castore, opera di Pelagio Pelagi, che funge da sentinella, in coppia col gemello Polluce, all'ingresso della Piazzetta Reale di Torino.
... of the beautiful statue of Dioscuri Castor, by Pelagio Pelagi, who acts as a sentry, a couple with twins Pollux, at the entrance to the Piazzetta Reale in Turin.
In the hedgehog shaped container is probably stored kohl.
Hedgehogs were believed to be observant as nocturnal animals, and a hedgehog awakening from hibernation was considered a symbol of rebirth. In ancient Egypt, hedgehogs were also eaten.
Faience
26th dynasty
Provenance unknown
Cat. 3375 Museo Egizio
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
From the collection of Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
Table games were very much appreciated in ancient Egypt with the most popular being Senet. The game was for two people and played on a rectangular board with the upper surface divided into thirty squares; probably the game consisted of moving tokens around the board following the throw of small battens that corresponded to our modern dice. The lower surface of the board was used for playing the twenty-square game.
Tutankhamun had four senet boards of which the largest was the most lavish. The squares were inlaid with ivory and the board itself rests on a small frame with supports in the form of lion' paws and fitted with runners. The drawer on the short side was found empty and removed from its housing and, as the tokens were missing, it is supposed that they were made from a valuable material and stolen by the tomb thieves. The token shown in the picture belonged to other, less magnificent, boards.
During the New Kingdom, Senet took on a magical-religious value and in the introductory formula in Chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead, it was considered essential that the deceased played a game against an invisible opponent to ensure his survival.
Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun's tomb KV62
18th dynasty
JE 62059 - SR 1/82 - 580
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
Protective goddess Nekhbet was found in the tomb of Amenhotep II in Valley of the Kings, Western Thebes.
Vulture goddess who was the protector of Upper Egypt and especially its rulers. Nekhbet was responsible for protecting the body of the king in his afterlife journey.
Wood
18th dynasty, New Kingdom
Tomb of Amenhotep II, Valley of the Kings
NMEC National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Fustat Cairo
Faience
Late Period
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
From the collection of Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
Wooden cosmetic boxes
The lids of boxes attached at the back open to reveal compartments for cosmetics. The box could be secured by winding twine around the two knobs at the front.
The elaborate decorations of cosmetic boxes were intended to imitate more expensive boxes inlaid with ebony, ivory, and perhaps cedar or mahogany.
NMEC National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Fustat Cairo
The wooden anthropoid coffin of a man called "Aba son of Ankh Hor", ruler and governor of Upper Egypt and the Head of the treasury.
The coffin is fully decorated in the shape of a mummy resembling Osiris with the upturned ceremonial false beard and a wig. The eyes are inlaid with ivory and ebony. Iba wears a large multicoloured necklace, and the sky-goddess Nut appears on the chest area. The coffin lid is also decorated with texts from the Egyptian Book of the Dead and the base shows hieroglyphic inscriptions.
Organic material, sycamore wood
Late Period, 26th Dynasty, Saite Period
Provenance Upper Egypt, Luxor (Thebes), West Bank, Qurna
BAAM 829
Antiquities Museum of Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Wedjat eye was a powerful symbol of protection encountered especially inside the shrouds of mummies. The Wedjat was also used for healing wounds; such an amulet was often placed on top of the incision made in the lower abdomen for the removal of the visceral organs.
Faience
Late Period
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
From the collection of Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
The wooden anthropoid coffin of a man called "Aba son of Ankh Hor", ruler and governor of Upper Egypt and the Head of the treasury.
Organic material, sycamore wood
Late Period, 26th Dynasty, Saite Period
Provenance Upper Egypt, Luxor (Thebes), West Bank, Qurna
BAAM 829
Antiquities Museum of Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Model of pottery building divided into three sections with small wall-mounted statues - similar to Osirion ones.
Pottery
Provenance Al-Qurnah
BAAM 810
Antiquities Museum of Bibliotheca Alexandrina
When the Ptolemaic state was established in Egypt, art that arose in Alexandria was in a purely classical style. Then it was soon mixed with ancient Egyptian art and its ancient traditions. Statues of the Ptolemaic kings appeared in Egyptian features mixed with artistic influences from ancient Greece. This statue depicts a king from the Ptolemaic Period in a mixed style that expressed the merging of these two cultures together.
Black granite
Ptolemaic Period
unknown origin
NMEC National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Fustat Cairo
Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun hunting and fishing in the marshes.
Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun's tomb KV62
18th dynasty
JE 62059 - SR 1/82 - 580
Egyptian Museum, Cairo
This anthropomorphic coffin belonged to an unknown person, probably a woman. The coffin and the mummy wrapped in bandages of varying widths probably originate from the Late Period, when the sophistication of mummification declined remarkably compared to the preceding Third Intermediate Period, which marks the high point of mummification.
During the Late Period, a typical modest funeral complement included the following items: an anthropomorphic inner coffin, a rectangular outer qrsw coffin, a shabti box containing shabti statuettes, four canopic jars, and occasionally a box for holding them, a wooden stela, a wood sculpture of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris and possibly a number of pottery jars and other objects. However, the Late Period saw the gradual disappearance of most everyday objects from burial chambers.
Late Period
Egypt of Glory exhibition, Amos Rex Art Museum, Helsinki
From the collection of Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy
9.10.2020-21.3.2021
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In 1797 the British government authorized Matthew Boulton to strike copper pennies and twopences at his Soho Mint, in Birmingham. It was believed that the face value of a coin should correspond to the value of the material it was made from, so each coin was made from two pence worth of copper (2 ounces). This requirement means that the coins are significantly larger than the silver pennies minted previously. The large size of the coins, combined with the thick rim where the inscription was punched into the metal, led to the coins being nicknamed "cartwheels". All "cartwheel" twopences are marked with the date 1797. In total, around 720,000 twopences were minted.
This head of a colossal statue of Hatshepsut would once have crowned one of the Osirian pillars that decorated the portico of the third terrace of the queen's temple at Deir el-Bahri. It was discovered there in 1926 by the mission of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The portico was divided into two by a granite portal which preceded the 'Festival Hall', on to which opened the more intimate rooms of the temple and the sanctuary of Amun.
Some of the characteristic stylistic features of the statuary of Hatshepsut are present in this head. The face is triangular and the features are very delicate. The striking almond-shaped eyes, decorated with a line of kohl extending to the temples, have large dilated pupils, imparting a sense of innocence and purity. The slightly arched nose is long and slim. The small mouth is set in a faint smile. The same face is found not only on many other statues of the queen but also on those representing private individuals of the same period.
One unusual element is the dark red colour of the skin, usually a feature of male images, it is justified in this case by the fact that the queen is represented here as a pharaoh in Osirian form. The false beard painted blue emphasizes the divine nature of the 'king'. The blue colour of lapis lazuli, together with gold, signified divinity.
From what remains of the queen's headdress, it can be deduced that she wore the Double Crown symbolizing the union between Upper and Lower Egypt.
JE 56259 A - 56262
Egyptian Museum, Cairo