Relief of Hesi-re
This piece of art was created in the Third Dynasty. It is a relief sculpture done on a piece of acacia wood, which oddly enough, was a very scarce material in Egypt at that time. It was also unusual to have chosen wood as a medium, when most pieces were being made of stone. Eleven panels were created, but only six were found to have survived excavation, and were in surprisingly excellent condition. These panels are on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, in their ancient positions, facing east towards the rising sun. This piece measures about 3 feet long, and 16 inches wide.
Ankh seated with Hands Clasped
This statue is smaller than most, measuring only 24 inches in height. Created during the Third Dynasty, it is made of gray porphyroid granite. It is today on display in Paris at the Musee de Louvre.
Egyptian art vase with Rope decoration
This is another example of artwork from the period of the Third Dynasty.
Made of Egyptian alabaster, it stands about 25 inches tall. Its home is the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Made of Egyptian alabaster, it stands about 25 inches tall. Its home is the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Great Sphinx of Giza
The Great Sphinx is the largest monolith statue in the world! It is 241 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 67 feet high. It is believed to have been created by Egyptians of the Old Kingdom during the reign of King Khafre. Being made of limestone, it represents a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head. After the Giza Necropolis was abandoned, the Sphinx became buried in sand, up to its shoulders. After a few unsuccessful attempts over the ages, it was finally completely excavated beginning 1925, completed in 1936.
Khafre
This is a statue of Khafre, the fourth ruler of the 4th dynasty and the pharaoh that built the second pyramid at Giza. This statue is considered one of the great masterpieces of sculpture. It is carved from diorite, one of the hardest know granite rocks, which makes it even more marvelous as this type of rock is so difficult to work with. On the back of the throne on which Khafre is seated (which is not visible in this photo), a falcon is perched behind his head, and has its wings outstretched in a protective fashion around Khafre's head. The side panels carry the characteristic 'sema-tawy' motif in relief, the symbol of the 'union of two lands'. This statue is believed to be of the 4th dynasty.
Recumbent Lion
The lion was considered a symbol of royalty in Egypt. This imposing statue once guarded the entrance of an Egyptian sanctuary. This piece was made entirely of granite, and measures nearly seven feet long. After being excavated from Herakleopolis Magna in 1891, today it is located at the NYC Metropolitan Museum of Art. This statue is considered art from the 4th dynasty.
Two Bracelets of Queen Hetep-heres I
These bracelets are beautiful examples of Fourth Dynasty jewelry They are made of silver and inlaid with turquoise, carnelian, and lapis-lazuli. They were found in the collapsed remains of a wooden jewelry box that had been covered with gold leaf. Silver was considered more precious than gold in those days. The bracelets, and many other treasure belonging to the queen are displayed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
King Menkaure and a Queen
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is home to this statue, carved out of slate and a fine example Old Kingdom Fourth Dynasty royal sculpture. The statue stands about 4 feet and 8 inches high. It was found in 1910 in a hole previously dug by treasure-hunters, in the Valley Temple of the pyramid of Menkaure at Giza. The work is a prime example of how royalty was depicted, in a rather stiff and rigid pose.
Statues of Rahotep and Nofret
This pair of statues are also Fourth Dynasty artwork. Unusual characteristics found on these pieces include the moustache on Rahotep's statue, and Nofret's hair being painted in a way that highlights the fact she is wearing a wig. Besides the paint work adding to realism, the statues also had glass inlaid eyes. The quality of these statues, along with the hierpglyphs painted in the backs of their seats, seems to confirm their high rank in Egyptian society. Rahotep and Nofret are on display at the Cairo Museum.
Two Sculptors Working on a Statue - Saqqara
This piece of art is a painted stone relief, believed to be from the Fifth Dynasty. Today it is located in Cairo, at the Egyptian Museum.
Broad Collar and Ankle Bracelet
Egyptian women adorned themselves with as much jewelry as they could afford. Wealthy women wore broad collars like the one shown here, which fastened at the back of the neck. This one is made from Egyptian faience. From the Fifth Dynasty, it can be seen at the Agyptisches Museum, Universitaet Leipzig.
Statue of Demedji and Hennutsen
This artwork is typical of nonroyal statuary of made during the Fifth Dynasty. Demedji, the husband, was the Overseer of the King's fortresses, a military function, and his wife Hennutsen was priestess of the goddesses Hathor and Neith. With Demedji standing almost 33 inches tall, and Hennutsen at 27 inches, the statue was made of limestone, and today has just faint remains of paint.
Merti and his Wife
Merti was a high official and province governor. The statues shown here are exceptionally large for being made of wood, being approximately life-size. Here Merti is stepping forward with his staff and scepter of authority, and his wife stands behind in repose. They are shown wearing wigs and jewelry, ans linen clothes. From the Fifth Dynasty, these and other similar statues can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Prince Tjau seated on the ground
This is a small statue of Prince Tjau, just shy of 14 inches tall. It is from the Sixth Dynasty, and made of Graywacke. Today it is located at the Egyptian Museum at Cairo.
Statuette of Queen Ankhnes-meryre and Her Son Pepy II
This statuette, created during the 6th Dynastry, honors Pepy as one of the longest reigning kings in the history of the world, after becoming a king at age 6. Here he is depicted with the nemes headdress which displays a uraeus cobra, the mark of a full-fledged king. In a unique gesture, he is placing his hand over the hand of his mother. She is shown with a headdress of a vulture with outspread wings, made of another material and attached at her forehead. The statue is made of Egyptian alabaster and is only about 15 inches tall, and can be visited the the Brooklyn Museum.