Relief of Akhenaten as a sphinx

Egyptian
New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten
1349–1336 B.C.

MEDIUM/TECHNIQUE
Limestone

DIMENSIONS
Height x width x depth: 51 x 105.5 x 5.2 cm (20 1/16 x 41 9/16 x 2 1/16 in.)

CREDIT LINE
Egyptian Curator's Fund

ACCESSION NUMBER
64.194

NOT ON VIEW

COLLECTIONS
Ancient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East

CLASSIFICATIONS
Architectural elements – Relief

DESCRIPTION
Although Akhenaten's religious reforms purged Egyptian art of many of its most familiar manifestations, the king remained fond of the sphinx and often had himself depicted as that fantastic creature - part man, part lion. In Old Kingdom times, the Great Sphinx at Giza probably stood for the king presenting offerings to the sun god, while in the Eighteenth Dynasty the mighty monument was reinterpreted as the sun god Horemakhet, or Horus in the Horizon. Its impeccable solar credentials therefore made the sphinx an appropriate image for Akhenaten at el-Amarna, the city he called Akhetaten, "Horizon of the Sun Disk."

This relief was one of a pair flanking a temple doorway. The sphinx on it rests on a plinth, suggesting that it represents a statue. A pair of such reliefs flanking the doorway of a small temple would have evoked the grand avenues of sphinxes that traditionally led up to the entrance pylons of larger Egyptian sanctuaries. Here the sphinx is equipped with human arms and hands to enable him to make offerings to his god, the sun disk, Aten, who appears at the upper left. He wears the uraeus of kingship while behind him (to the left) are two cartouches containing his lengthy official name. The sun's life-giving rays end in so many hands, some holding ankh-signs. Below are three offering stands. To the right, Akhenaten as sphinx raises one hand in adoration while in the other he holds a neb sign, a basket signifying lordship, holding Aten's cartouches. These same cartouches appear a third time in the upper right where they are joined with the cartouches of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, who is thus present in name if not in image. The rest of the inscription describes the "great, living Aten" as "dwelling in the Sunshade temple [called] Creator of the Horizon [which is] in Akhetaten." The temple named here, yet to be located, must be the one for which this block was carved.

Akhenaten's religious revolution was accompanied by a change in the way pharaoh was depicted, showing a marked departure from the idealized images favored by his predecessors. Even though the king's face has been sadly hacked away, one can still discern his characteristic slanted eyes, long nose,hollow cheeks, drooping lower lip, and pendulous chin.

PROVENANCE
Probably from el-Amarna. 1964, sold by Ernst E. Kofler (dealer; b. 1899 - d. 1989), Lucerne, to the MFA. (Accession Date: October 14, 1964

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

https://collections.mfa.org/objects/46197/relief-of-akhenaten-as-a-sphinx?ctx=ac9f7b45-02d8-493b-a633-5d4a1b08ac5f&idx=11

Relief of Akhenaten as a sphinx, Egyptian, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten 1349–1336 B.C., Limestone, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Are there any aspects of modern Egyptian society or culture which can be traced directly back to ancient Egypt? (Say, any time up to Cleopatra).

I don't know much about Egypt, but I'm curious because I'm aware how much of modern 'western' culture links back to Roman institutions and practices, either due to direct continuation or because it was emulated later. Has ancient Egyptian culture been overshadowed by later conquests, or do certain things remain?

Thanks.

Reading about ancient egypt, at times I see the building being described as sober than one from other culture likee greece antic rome, how true is this assertion?

Faience Heart Amulet

[2837] Amulet - Africa, Egypt, Upper Egypt, Dendera

Ptolemaic Egypt
Faience heart amulet.

Accession number: 2837

Object type:
Amulet
Object

Date made: Ptolemaic Egypt

Collection group:
Egyptology
Humanities

Display location: This object is not currently on display

Materials: Faience; Glaze

Technique: Glazed;

Geospatial site/Chronostratigraphic era:
Africa, Egypt, Upper Egypt, Dendera

Acquisition credit: Donation by Egypt Exploration Fund, 1897-1898

Record number (IRN): 104982

Dimensions:
4 cm (height)
2.6 cm (width)

Manchester Museum

https://museumcollections.manchester.ac.uk/collections/item/972ecfba-7140-3bb0-ad24-fd68ff7f0dfe/

Title:
Faience, Heart, Amulet, Egypt, Upper Egypt, Dendera, Ptolemaic period, Manchester Museum

Statuette of a Man
PLACE CREATED Egypt, Africa
CULTURE Egyptian
PERIOD Old Kingdom, Dynasty 6
DATE 2305-2152 BCE
MEDIUM Wood, ground, paint
CREDIT LINE Egyptian Purchase Fund
DIMENSIONS 23 1/4 x 5 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (59.1 x 14 x 11.4 cm)
OBJECT NUMBER 2002.041.001

Label Text
During the late Old Kingdom, a freer manneristic style developed along with the increasing popularity of wooden statuary. The example here, with its long, expressive face, typifies the best of this new artistic trend. One arm is preserved resting against his side while the other, now lost, would have been bent at the elbow, holding a walking stick, a symbol of his status. The white kilt has traces of paint representing beaded tassels hanging from his belt.

Exhibition History
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, 2006 - August 15, 2011
Life and Death in the Pyramid Age: The Emory Old Kingdom Mummy, Michael C. Carlos Museum, September 10 - December 11, 2011
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, February 2012 - Present

Published References
Christie's New York, Antiquities (June 12, 2002), 150-151, number 260.
MCCM Newsletter, March - May 2003.
Peter Lacovara, "Life and Death in the Pyramid Age," Minerva 22 (September/October 2011): 12-13.

PROVENANCE
Purchased by MCCM from Christies New York, June 12, 2002, lot 260.

STATUS
On view

COLLECTIONS
Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art

The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University

https://collections.carlos.emory.edu/objects/10151/statuette-of-a-man

Title:
Statuette of a Man, Old Kingdom Dynasty 6 2305-2152 BCE, Wood ground and paint, Egypt, The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University

So i found some old photos from when my grandfathers fader who was priest and egyptolog went to egypt. Im from sweden and these photos are from the 1925-1935 i think. I will try to verify since there are some documentation i will try to upload more photos there are around 100 photos but its these weird format you guys will know more than me.

This photo of the sphinx is cool

The Papyrus of Ani is the manuscript compiled for the Theban scribe Ani; it is now in the British Museum.

Ptah–Sokar–Osiris figure

Place of production
Thebes (?), Egypt
Date
8th–7th centuries B.C. (722–655)
Object type
tomb equipment
Medium, technique
Wood, paint
Dimensions
34.6 x 9.8 x 7.5 cm
Inventory number
51.2090
Collection
Egyptian Art
On view
Museum of Fine Arts, Basement Floor, Ancient Egypt, Funerary beliefs

The small statuette represents a typical and chronologically well-distinguished example of the painted wooden Ptah‒Sokar‒Osiris statue type used in a funerary context. The antecedents of this type of statue appeared during the Twentieth Dynasty (12th–11th centuries B.C.) among burial equipment and remained in use as late as the end of the Ptolemaic Period. The image representing the funerary god was placed close by the coffin and the mummy lying inside it. During the centuries, the elaboration of the design, the iconography and colour scheme changed considerably. Many pieces of this type had a hollow cut into their back or pedestal in order to hide a small funerary papyrus or so-called corn mummy symbolizing the rebirth of Osiris. The text on the figures sometimes comprised a longer hymnic composition, or a shortened offering formula that contained the name and titles of the deceased as well as certain members of their family.
This stubby figure is represented with small face and a long false beard; the pigment layer has worn or flaked off in many places. There is a vertical fissure along the green-painted face. On top of the head is a hole for attaching the – now missing – headdress, with the broken-off pin. Below the light-coloured collar, the mummified body painted in dark red is covered by a dark blue bead-net pattern. The short inscriptions on both the front and back sides have preserved the name of the owner: Kha-aa, son of Khonsumes. Based on iconographic features, the piece can undoubtedly be dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty (722–655 B.C.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

https://www.mfab.hu/artworks/1827/

Title:
Ptah–Sokar–Osiris figure, 8th–7th centuries B.C. (722–655) , Wood and paint, Thebes (?), Egypt
The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

Watched a DVD recently, a microbiologist Scott Woodward from BYU in Utah, US, went to Egypt and was able to get DNA samples of Thutmoses I and Amenohotep I. This was '96. I wasn't able to find much follow up.

I've read Hwass did some DNA testing more recently but hasn't/ can't/ won't release the information. Did Hwass's tests use any of Woodward's findings?

Any recommended reading? Thanks.

Amulet of a Lizard

Date
second half of IInd millennium B.C.
Object type
amulet
Medium, technique
Egyptian faience
Dimensions
1.2 x 0.9 x 2.9 cm
Inventory number
51.2605
Collection
Egyptian Art
On view
Museum of Fine Arts, Basement Floor, Ancient Egypt, Temples and gods

The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

https://www.mfab.hu/artworks/1689/

Title:
Amulet of a Lizard, The second half of second century, Egyptian faience, Egypt, The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

The Ptolemaic dynasty became the longest-lasting of Alexander's Successor kingdoms after establishing its rule over Egypt. But was military power alone enough to explain that success?

In the ancient world, religion stood at the heart of everyday life. It shaped politics, society, and personal identity. Alongside the Greek gods, local cults remained central to the communities that worshipped them.

During the Hellenistic period, ruler cults took on a new significance. Kings were presented not only as political leaders but also as figures with divine status, making religion one of the most effective tools for legitimizing power.

The Ptolemies understood this better than anyone else. Rather than replacing Egypt's religious traditions, they embraced them. They adopted the traditions of the pharaohs, integrated themselves into local cults, and established new dynastic cults for members of the royal family. In doing so, they succeeded in presenting themselves not only as Greek monarchs, but also as the legitimate pharaohs of Egypt.

Perhaps the true strength of the Ptolemaic dynasty was not what they conquered on the battlefield, but what they won in the minds and beliefs of the people.

Papyrus and Translation

and I'll explain:

Correct if I'm wrong, but modern researchers don't really believe that the ancient Egyptian religion(s) was polytheistic or monistic. If any, the ancient Egyptians believed that the divine manifests in many ways, and different major-gods share the same underlying divine force behind them.

If you guys are familiar with Hinduistic ideas, it's the exact idea of Brahman - the ultimate divine reality which is eternal, changeless and transcendental. All the Hindu gods are manifestations of Brahman and point to the same thing.

Amun, "the hidden one", seems to be that "Egyptian Brahman" - Hidden (transcendental), primordial, creator, associated with the sky and and air ("all pervading").

I'll mention briefly Heka - it was a concept (magic is a universal force that gods and priest control) which was personified as a god later on.

My question is - Is Amun, who rose to popularity in the new kingdom, is the result of development in the Egyptian theological thought where priests said "this is the underlying divine source of all, let's name it and worship it", or, subsequently, it's just another major god who created the other gods because he is the new major god and all other gods are his creation?

Basically, is Amun the personification of "underlying divinity", or it's just another "new popular major god"?

Bes Head Amulet

Place of production
Egypt
Date
4th-1st century B.C.
Object type
amulet
Medium, technique
Egyptian faience
Dimensions
7.1 x 4.9 cm
Inventory number
51.2542
Collection
Egyptian Art
On view
This artwork is on view at the permanent exhibition

The pale green amulet depicts the face of the ancient Egyptian god, Bes. The head of the dwarf deity is wearing a plumed headdress consisting of five feathers. His animal ears are protruded, and the forehead wrinkles are strongly creased. He is protruding his tongue and his long beard is spreading` like a collar. The god’s bulging eyes, thick, frowning eyebrows, protruding tongue and enlarged nostrils are all the means of warding off evil. In the late periods of ancient Egyptian history, the amulets with Bes head or Bes mask were particularly popular. Bes was one of the most important apotropaic gods in ancient Egypt; he protected the households and the families, particularly women and children. The amulet is pierced horizontally through the headdress.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

https://www.mfab.hu/artworks/1793/

Title:
Bes Head Amulet, 4th-1st century B.C., Egyptian faience, Egypt The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

Funerary Stela
Place of production
Thebes, Egypt
Date
First half of the 3rd century B.C.
Object type
stela
Medium, technique
Wood, paint
Dimensions
49.5 x 31.5 x 2.8 cm
Inventory number
51.1928
Collection
Egyptian Art
On view
Museum of Fine Arts, Basement Floor, Ancient Egypt, Temples and gods

The painted wooden stela was purchased by Ferenc Kiss sometime between 1828 and 1843. The decoration is placed in three registers divided by horizontal lines. The lunette was occupied by the picture of a winged sun disc adorned with uraeus-snakes. Below one can observe the figure of a scarab, the regenerated morning form of the sun god, flanked by two recumbent Anubis-jackals. The central figure of the second register is Osiris sitting on his throne together with his son Horus and his wife Isis standing behind him. The deceased is introduced to the presence of the ruler of the netherworld by Anubis. The lower register contains a hieroglyphic text inscribed in ten horizontal lines, in which a decree – issued by Osiris – can be read.

Based on close parallels, the funerary stela can be dated to the early Ptolemaic Period, i.e., the fourth–third century BC and its owner was a songstress of Amun-Re in the temple of Karnak.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

https://www.mfab.hu/artworks/1819/

Title:
Funerary Stela, Thebes, Egypt, First half of the 3rd century B.C.,Wood and paint, Thebes, Egypt, The Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

Heart Amulet
1550 BC - 332 BC
M11957e
Currently not on display

World Museum

Information
Bright blue faience amulet mould-made in the shape of the heart-shaped hieroglyph, taking the form of a jar with lug handles, perhaps representing veins and arteries. There is a pierced suspension loop at the top. Heart-shaped amulets were believed to protect the wearer's heart from both physical and spiritual harm, both in life and after death. Spell 29b in the Book of the Dead states that such amulets should ideally be carved from the red-coloured stone carnelian. In the ancient Egyptian language, the word heart (ib) appears in the expression for a close friend, “one who has entered the heart” (ak-ib).

Specifications

Accession number
M11957e

Collection type
Religion

Culture
New Kingdom; Third Intermediate Period; Late Period

Place made
Africa: Northern Africa: Egypt

Date made
1550 BC - 332 BC

Collector
Joseph Mayer

Place collected
Africa: Northern Africa: Egypt

Date collected
1852 about

Materials
Egyptian Faience

Measurements
Overall: 23 mm x 12 mm x 8 mm

Credit line
Gift of Joseph Mayer

Legal status
Permanent collection

Provenance
Joseph Mayer, Donor, Purchased, Donation, Owned until: 1867

Location
Item not currently on display

Publications
Catalogue of the Mayer Collection Part 1. The Egyptian, Babylonian and Assyrian Antiquities. Second and Revised Edition, Charles Gatty, 1879, Page: 18 [88]

World Museums Liverpool

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/heart-amulet-6

Title:
Heart Amulet, 1550 BC - 332 BC, New Kingdom; Third Intermediate Period; Late Period, Egyptian Faience, Egypt, World Museums Liverpool

The art dropped in quality lol😭 this was not on purpose but fits this chaotic era, I probably got a lot wrong about this era but tbf this is kinda a propaganda-ish take I tried doing

Now if you can't read what happened to montuhotep the 4th here's the translation:

Pic 9:

Montuhotep 4: amunemhat! Go far to nubia and find the stone that will make my coffin!

Amunemhet: yes pharaoh!

Pic 11: (skipping ten as it seems easier to read)

Amunemhat: oh come on! It's great! My pharaoh come closer and I'll show you!

* he then drops it on him accidentally(?)*

Egyptian God Osiris and his parents Geb and Nut (above)

This was a really enjoyable creative process,

A3 marker pen/pencil crayon

The colossal red granite statue of Amenhotep III is a granite head of the 18th Dynasty ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Dating from around 1370 BCE, it was found in the temple enclosure of Mut at Karnak in Upper Egypt

The inscription, carved in the temple of Philae in southern Egypt, was created by a priest named Nesmeterakhem (or Esmet-Akhom)[a] and consists of a carved figure of the god Mandulis as well an accompanying text wherein Nesmeterakhem hopes his inscription will last "for all time and eternity". The inscription also contains a text in the demotic script, with similar content.