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Figure of a man with a hoe, from Assiut, Egypt, 6th Dynasty, c2250 BC. By the New Kingdom (c1550-1070 BC) the deceased was expected to perform manual labour, especially in the fields, in the afterlife. In order to avoid this, small shabti figures were included in the tomb. These shabti figures were supposed to work on behalf of the deceased, and were represented carrying agricultural tools. They often held hoes crossed over their chests, ready to start work as soon as they were called. The tomb owners of the Middle Kingdom (c2040-1750 BC) were determined that their provisions for the afterlife should last for all eternity. Their tombs were equipped with models of various stages of the process of producing grain for bread, one of the main offerings to maintain the deceased in the Afterlife. EA, 45195
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Figure of a man with a hoe, from Assiut, Egypt, 6th Dynasty, c2250 BC. By the Ne...

Strip of decorated linen, from Egypt, New Kingdom or later, after 1550 BC. The torn edge of this strip is quite regular, and the linen is of quite good quality. This suggests that it was originally part of a garment which was torn up carefully for use in wrapping a mummy. Unfortunately the fragment of fabric is too small to determine the type of garment to which it originally belonged. Evidence from mummy wrappings shows that garments of the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC) and later were sometimes decorated with coloured borders. In many cases these were blue, as in this example, and consisted of stripes of different widths, usually located at the selvage edges of the fabric. The blue stripes on this example alternate with red ones, now extremely faded. Pieces of fabric were not woven specifically for wrapping mummies. Textiles used for mummy bandages were often household linen or clothing, torn into strips. EA, 6517
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Strip of decorated linen, from Egypt, New Kingdom or later, after 1550 BC. The t...

Linen bag of salt for mummification, Egyptian, New Kingdom, c1550-c1070 BC. In its most developed form, the mummification process took seventy-two days. To prevent the body from decaying, the internal organs were removed. The brain was not regarded as important, and was thrown away. The heart, considered to be the seat of wisdom and personality, was left in its place. The lungs, liver, stomach and intestines were removed for separate mummification. The body was then rinsed with sweet oils, and packed with rags and sawdust to retain its shape. Bags of salt or natron aided the drying process. More natron was piled on and around the body. After the desiccation (drying) of the body, which took forty days, the drying agents and stuffing were removed, and replaced with linen wads and sawdust to recreate the recognizable shape of the body for bandaging. The soiled materials were bundled up and included in the burial, as they still contained elements of the deceased. The salt is from Deir el-Bahari. EA, 43218
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Linen bag of salt for mummification, Egyptian, New Kingdom, c1550-c1070 BC. In i...

Shrine stela of Ineny, Egyptian, late 18th Dynasty, c1350 BC. Shrine, presumably from Ineny's tomb, combining elements of the pyramidion, (capstone for a pyramid), with those of a shrine. Pyramidions often contained niches in which were placed statues of the tomb owner holding a stela. This feature has been enlarged and placed in the shrine, where a figure of a god might be expected. Here the figure of the tomb owner has been reduced to just his head and hands, protruding above the stela on each face of the shrine. The hieroglyphic inscriptions record the traditional offering formula, naming a different god on each side. The hieroglyphs become closer together towards the end of each line, as if the carver had misjudged the space available. The text on each stela gives a summary of Ineny's hymn to Re. The name of Amun has been deliberately erased in the offering inscription on one side. The shrine is from Thebes. EA, 467
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Shrine stela of Ineny, Egyptian, late 18th Dynasty, c1350 BC. Shrine, presumably...

Gold cobra wearing the crown of Lower Egypt, Egyptian, Late Period, after 600 BC. The fact that the cobra from this decorative ornament wears the red crown of Lower Egypt suggests that it represents the goddess Wadjet, patron of the town of Buto. It could also be interpreted as either Hathor who, in the guise of the eye of Re, was sent to destroy mankind for being disrespectful, or as Sekhmet who was the fiery weapon of the god Re and who could be sent out to destroy the enemies of the gods. Re bequeathed this gift of potential destruction, represented by the rearing cobra, to his descendants, the kings of Egypt. The fine workmanship and the material used indicates that it belonged to a piece of royal furniture, such as a chair. The rearing cobra was used as a decorative element on furniture, vessels and jewellery. It had strong links with kingship and with protection and was worn on the brow of the king as a sign of his divinity. Images of Egyptian gods also bear the rearing cobra. EA, 16518
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Gold cobra wearing the crown of Lower Egypt, Egyptian, Late Period, after 600 BC...

Obsidian amulet in the shape of two fingers, Egypt, Late Period, after 600 BC. The 'two-finger' amulet shows the index and middle fingers, with the nails and joints clearly indicated. They were placed on the mummy near the incision by which the internal organs were removed before embalming. This may suggest that the amulet was intended to reaffirm the embalming process, the fingers representing those of Anubis, the god of embalming. However, the amulet could also have been intended to 'hold' the incision sealed, to prevent malign forces from entering the body, like the plaques sometimes placed over the wound. 'Two-finger' amulets were mostly made of a dark hard stone such as basalt, obsidian (volcanic glass) or steatite. Black was associated with the Underworld. The hardness of the stones was symbolic of endurance. Amulets were made of such materials to ensure that their magical powers lasted for all eternity. EA, 59500
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Obsidian amulet in the shape of two fingers, Egypt, Late Period, after 600 BC. T...

Faience vessel decorated with a depiction of the god Heh, from tomb 61,Enkomi, cyprus. The vase is made in the form of a closed lotus flower and decorated with a picture of Heh. The first meaning of "Heh" was "millions", but heh was reansformed into the Egyptian god of infinity by association with symbols for year and for rebirth. The god is shown in his ususal guise as a kneeling man holding notched palm ribs in each hand. GR, 1897.4-1.999
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Faience vessel decorated with a depiction of the god Heh, from tomb 61,Enkomi, c...

Mummy of a cat, from Abydos, Upper Egypt Roman period, perhaps 1st century. Animals associated with deities were redularly mummified in later periods. The main concentration of cat burials was at sites with an association with a feline deity.It seems likely that a cult was made periodically in the temple catteries to provide subjects for mummification and sale to the pious. The purchase and burial of an animal mummy in a specially designed catacomb was seen as a pious act towards the deity represented by the animal. EA, 37348
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Mummy of a cat, from Abydos, Upper Egypt Roman period, perhaps 1st century. Ani...

Coffin of a woman, Egyptian, Early Roman period, 1st BCE- 1st CE. Anthropoid coffin made from gilded and painted papyrus. The deceased wears clothes fashionable at the end of the Hellenistic period. The contours of her figure are emphasized by the coloured bands of her clothes; a striped shawl is fastened at her chest. From Akhmim. EA, 29585
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Coffin of a woman, Egyptian, Early Roman period, 1st BCE- 1st CE. Anthropoid cof...

Terracotta figurine of a woman riding on a pig, Hellenistic, Egypt, 1st BCE. It shows a large pig, bearing on its back a fat woman riding side-saddle, naked apart from the tall headdress and the long veil that covers it. This object is a calathus, a measuring vessel for corn and the stele or shrine in her left arm shows that she may be linked to Demeter, goddess of corn and fertility. GR, 1926.9-30.48
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Terracotta figurine of a woman riding on a pig, Hellenistic, Egypt, 1st BCE. It...

Sphinx with proto-Sinaitic inscriptions, from Serabit el-Khadim, Sinai, Middle Kingdom, around 1800 BCE. The semi-precious stone turquoise was extracted here from the Middle Kingdom onwards. Hathor, the goddess associated with turquoise, is named in the hieroglyphic inscription on the right shoulder. The proto-sinaitic inscription includes a similar name, the inscriptions are therefore bilingial, like the Rosetta stone. EA 41748
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Sphinx with proto-Sinaitic inscriptions, from Serabit el-Khadim, Sinai, Middle K...

Pair of disc and amphora earrings, Hellenistic (Ptolemaic), c200 BC. Earrings with garnet amphorae with garnet, emerald, and pearl chain pendants. The long chain could have been worn either round the back of the neck or pinned across the chest. The amphorae have dolphin-shaped handles and are suspended from discs inlaid with garnets, topped with a stylized crown. The design of the crown conforms to the so-called 'Crown of Isis', a common motif in jewellery of the period: Ptolemaic queens were assimilated with the goddess Isis and both were associated with this type of crown which consists of a sun-disc capped by two feathered plumes that were originally inlaid with another material, now lost. The crown motif rests on the horns of a cow, a symbol usually associated with the Egyptian goddess Hathor. On these earrings the horns form a pattern beneath the plumes, and a garnet is placed in the crown. Jewellery with Egyptianized details, such as these earrings, is found throughout the Hellenistic world and was not exclusively manufactured in Egypt where these earrings were made. GR, 1906.4-11.1 (Jewellery 2331)
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Pair of disc and amphora earrings, Hellenistic (Ptolemaic), c200 BC. Earrings wi...