Egyptians enjoyed playing board games, especially senet, or "passing." During the 18th dynasty, the game acquired religious significance, which transformed it into a simulation of the soul's journey through the underworld to achieve immortality. Throw sticks, much like dice, determined a player's moves, and winning required both skill and luck. This senet game board of 30 squares required 14 game pieces, like these spool- and cone-shaped pieces.For the latest information about this object, gameboards, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 19th-20th DynastyInscriptions: [Translation] First of the Priests of Amun, One who is in the place of the Temple of Amun-Ré (an acolyte of Amun-Ré), King of the gods, Nesi-amun-ipet, the Justified of Voice, the gift of Amun himself.Reign: Style:
Egyptians enjoyed playing board games, especially "senet," or "passing." From the Old Kingdom, the game also had religious significance, which transformed it into a simulation of the soul's journey through the underworld to achieve immortality. Throw sticks, much like dice, determined a player's moves, and winning required both skill and luck. The "senet" game board of 30 squares required 14 game pieces, like this one.For the latest information about this object, game pieces, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 18th-21st DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
Egyptians enjoyed playing board games, especially "senet," or "passing." During the 18th dynasty, the game acquired religious significance, which transformed it into a simulation of the soul's journey through the underworld to achieve immortality. Throw sticks, much like dice, determined a player's moves, and winning required both skill and luck. The "senet" game board of 30 squares required 14 game pieces, like this one.For the latest information about this object, game pieces, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 18th-21st DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
This set of canopic jars was made to contain the internal organs removed from the body during the mummification process. The four sons of the god Horus were believed to protect these organs. The jackal-headed Duamutef protected the stomach; the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef, the intestines; the baboon-headed Hapi, the lungs; and human-headed Imsety, the liver.For the latest information about this object, canopic jars, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 22nd-23rd DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
A bronze statuette of the anthropomorphic god Anubis facing a kneeling worshiper. He has the head of a jackal and the body of a human male. The piece has been cast in three sections and then joined. The eyes of Anubis are inlaid with gold and there are traces of gilding on the shoulders, wrists, ankles, neck, wig, and ears. The gilding was delicately applied to the eyes, eyebrows and muzzle, but in other areas it appears to have been applied in a more careless fashion. The piece is well preserved in general but there is a break on the lower back corner of the base and there is some green and bright blue corrosion on the lower side of the base. A hieroglyphic inscription runs around the main base, the base of the Anubis figure and along the back pillar of the worshiper, identifying the dedicant as one Wdja-Hor-resnet, son of Ankh-pa-khered, who is asking for the blessings of the god Anubis.
The figure of Anubis is in a striding position with his proper left leg advanced. His proper right arm hangs at his side and the right hand is clenched into a fist with the thumb protruding. The proper left arm is raised and bent at the elbow and there is a drilled hole in the hand for the insertion of an object. Earlier photographs of this piece in Darresy's "Statues de Divinités," show that the missing object was a "was" scepter. He wears a tripartite wig, "shendyt" kilt with deep pleats and a striated belt. A broad collar, armlets and bracelets are incised and gilded. Anklets are suggested by the gilding around the ankles but they are not incised. The musculature of the limbs and the torso is clearly defined. The ears of the god are large and the inner detailing has been carefully modeled. The muzzle comes to a delicate point, accentuating the skillfully modeled eyes, sweeping brows, nose and mouth. There are two cobras at the feet of the deity facing the worshipper. The proper right cobra wears the Red Crown of Lower Egypt and the left cobra wears the White Crown of Upper Egypt. The head of the left cobra is raised slightly higher than that of the right.
A worshipper kneels before the god with his back against an inscribed pillar which is pyramidal at the top. He kneels with both knees down on a flat rectangular base, which is attached to the larger main base below. He extends his hands to the god palms down. He wears a "shendyt" kilt, but the pleats are not carved with the same precision that is seen on the kilt of the god. The bent knees are squared off unnaturally and the legs blend together below the kilt. He has an inscribed broad collar. He also wears a skull cap, the front line of which is clearly marked across his brow. The face is round with full cheeks and no definition of the chin. The ears are large and set high. The eyes are natural and do not have cosmetic brows. The nose is straight and the mouth is small with slightly pursed lips. The overall surface of the worshipper is pitted whereas the figure of Anubis has a high polish.For the latest information about this object, statues, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 25th-26th DynastyInscriptions: [Translation] May Anubis, give life, health, long life and great and good old age to Wdja-Hor-resnet, son of Ankh-pa-khered, whose mother is Ta-gemiw(t), who is born (made) of the Mistress of the house, Hy-inty for Pen-pa-djew./ May Anubis give life to Wdje-hor-resnet, son of Ankh-pa-khered./ May Anubis, who is before the place of the divine booth, give life, health, strength, a long life, and a great old age and happiness to the son of Ankh-pa-khered, whose mother is Ta-gemiw(t), who is Mistress of the House, Hy-inty for Pen-pa-djew.Reign: Style:
This cast bronze acrobat is missing his left hand, right hand and right forearm but was balanced on his hands with his legs and feet pressed together above him. A life-size marble version of this figure at the British Museum shows the acrobat poised in a handstand over a crocodile.For the latest information about this object, figurines, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: Inscriptions: Reign: Style:
The collars worn by both Egyptian men and women were composed of two main parts: in front, a broad collar (called "wesekh") decorated with floral elements, and a v-shaped counterpoise (called "menat") falling behind the neck to balance the weight of the collar. Such a combination was not only used as decoration but also as a ritual instrument by holding the "menat" in the hand and rattling the beads of the collar.
The three-dimensional depiction of "wesekh" and "menat" combined with a divine head became an important symbol. The head of a feline goddess atop this model collar indicates that it is intended as a personification of her powers, conveying in its decoration the ability of the lioness both to protect and to nourish the king. Her dual nature is evoked by her stern and watchful face on the front side, and by her representation as a mother suckling a young prince on the reverse. This precious object may have been produced for someone of the royal family.For the latest information about this object, ceremonial objects; collars (neckwear), visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 22nd-23rd DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
Although the group seems to represent two wrestlers, the victor's diadem (headband) identifies him as a Ptolemaic king whose victim probably symbolizes unsuccessful Asian or native Egyptian resistance. The image of the triumphant king is inspired by a traditional Egyptian theme, but the naturalistic rendering of the bodies shows Greek influence. The interlocking figures and the pyramidal silhouette are distinctly Hellenistic.For the latest information about this object, statuary groups, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: Inscriptions: Reign: Style:
A rare and fine example of so-called "Egyptian blue" ceramic ware, this lovely vase has a form similar to contemporary vessels of alabaster.For the latest information about this object, vases; covers, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 18th DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
Glass became very popular in the New Kingdom and although glass-making was not discovered by the Egyptians, they soon learned how to make glass. Glass inlays and vessels, such as this one, were precious and a luxury article.
This piece has a blue body, two small loop handles, and a round bottom. The banded decoration is yellow and white.For the latest information about this object, vessels, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 19th-21st DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
The feet have broken away from this black-speckled carnelian representation of Horus-the-Child, but the angle of the legs suggests he was seated on his mother's lap. A loop protruding from the shoulders is also broken off.For the latest information about this object, pendants; amulets; figurine, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 19th-23rd DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
The combination of the crescent moon with the full moon disk leads to an identification of the hawk as the god Khonsu of Thebes. The figure of the hawk stands on a rectangular base.
When Horus wears a sun disk, he is the god of cyclical renewal.For the latest information about this object, amulets; pendants; figurines, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: 21st-23rd DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
