Category: Egyptian Artifacts

Here are some of the more striking pieces from the Egyptian Galleries at the MET!

The dog 𓃛𓅱𓃛𓅱𓃥 is referred to as a “Mechanical Dog” because it’s mouth 𓂋𓏺 can open and close by using the lever that is located on the chest! When the mouth 𓂋𓏺 is open, tongue and teeth are visible! Much like our society today, the Egyptians had dogs 𓃛𓅱𓃛𓅱𓃥𓏦 as pets and mummified dogs 𓃛𓅱𓃛𓅱𓃥𓏦 have been found in tombs with their owners! This piece is from the rule of Amenhotep III 𓇳𓁧𓎠 (18th Dynasty) and actually used to be part of Howard Carter’s personal collection!

The gazelle 𓂾𓋴𓃲 is made of ivory 𓍋𓃀𓅱𓌟 and has a wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 base. The eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦 are made of inlaid stone, the ears are missing along with the horns. This piece is from the rule of Amenhotep III 𓇳𓁧𓎠 (18th Dynasty) and was a part of Lord Carnarvon’s personal collection.

The horse 𓋴𓋴𓅓𓏏𓃗 used to be part of a whip handle and is made of ivory 𓍋𓃀𓅱𓌟. Interestingly, horses 𓋴𓋴𓅓𓏏𓃗𓏦 didn’t come to Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 until the Second Intermediate Period during the time of Hyksos rule (c. 1667–1570 B.C.E.). During the New Kingdom however, horses 𓋴𓋴𓅓𓏏𓃗𓏦 (and chariots) were a common sight! This piece is from the rule of Amenhotep III 𓇳𓁧𓎠 (18th Dynasty) and was a part of Lord Carnarvon’s personal collection.

This is the burial chamber 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓉐 of Sobekmose, who was a treasury official 𓋴𓂋𓀀 under the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Amenhotep III 𓇳𓁧𓎠(18th Dynasty, c. 1417–1379 B.C.E.). The south 𓇔𓅱𓏏 wall, part of the east 𓋁𓃀𓏏𓏭 wall, and the ceiling 𓉔𓄿𓏏𓇯 blocks are all preserved here. The blocks are made of sandstone 𓂋𓅱𓂧𓏏𓌗𓈙.

Decorated burial chambers 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓉐 were not super common in the 18th Dynasty. Instead, the scenes depicted here were usually distributed amongst many chambers. They are all condensed into one room here.

The ceiling’s 𓉔𓄿𓏏𓇯 inscriptions include a prayer to Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭 (goddess 𓊹𓏏 of the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯), “words spoken by 𓆓𓌃𓇋𓈖” Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭, and inscriptions saying that “the Osiris Sobekmose” is “honored by” the Four Sons of Horus and various other gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹. The east 𓋁𓃀𓏏𓏭 entrance wall is decorated with protective texts and images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣. The south 𓇔𓅱𓏏 wall is covered in prayers to many different Egyptian gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏.

This was purchased from the Egyptian government in 1908, and the north 𓎔𓏏 and west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 walls of the burial chamber 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓉐 are actually in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston!

Here are some canopic jars and canopic jar lids!

Ever since I was a little kid 𓐍𓇌𓀕 I have been obsessed with the process of mummification and mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 – I have never been scared of it I just thought it was so cool! The purpose of the canopic jars was to hold the organs 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹𓏦 that were removed during the process of mummification. The stomach 𓂋𓄣𓏻, intestines 𓈖𓊪𓅮𓄿𓏲𓏼, the liver 𓅓𓊃𓏏𓄹𓏸𓏸𓏸 and the lungs 𓊃𓌴𓄥𓅱𓄺. The brain 𓂝𓅓𓅓𓄹 was removed through the nose 𓆑𓈖𓂧𓂉 but then gotten rid of! The heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 was not removed because the deceased’s 𓅓𓏏𓏱 heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 needed to be weighed against Maat’s 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁦 feather in order to enter the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.

The canopic jars on the top row belonged to a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 named Nephtys who was a mayor’s daughter. These are dated to the Middle Kingdom (Dynasty 12 – c. 1981–1802 B.C.E.), and human headed lids were popular during this time period. Before this, the canopic jars had flat lids. These four 𓏽 jars are made of limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉!

The canopic jars on the bottom row belong to a person named Kay. These are also dated to the Middle Kingdom (Dynasty 12 – c. 1981–1802 B.C.E.), and are made out of linen 𓍱 and stucco. These canopic jars contain a hieroglyphic 𓊹𓌃𓏪 inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the front. I think the lids of these jars are so cool because they look like a mummy mask!