Just returned from a trip to Egypt. Blown away by the GEM. Some fascinating exhibits. Although adult size, this armchair must date from the beginning of his reign. The king and queen are standing beneath the rays of the Aten in the Amarna artictic style and their older, aten names, are still visible on the back and arms.
Just got back from Egypt. 🇪🇬 What an amazing experience!
Osiris
PLACE CREATED Egypt, Africa
CULTURE Egyptian
PERIOD Late Period - Ptolemaic Period
DATE 722-30 BCE
MEDIUM Bronze
CREDIT LINE Gift of the Georges Ricard Foundation
DIMENSIONS 8 3/4 x 2 11/16 x 1 3/4 in., 1060 g (22.3 x 6.8 x 4.5 cm, 2 lb. 5 3/8 oz.)
OBJECT NUMBER 2018.010.738
TERMS
PROVENANCE
Said to be ex coll. Lord George Talbot. Purchased by Georges Ricard (1921-2012) from Roger Fernand Galliano, Paris, France, July 24, 1974. Ex coll. Musée de l'Égypte et le Monde Antique, Collection Sanousrit, Monaco, 1975-1982. Ex coll. Georges Ricard Foundation, Santa Barbara, California.
STATUS Not on view
COLLECTIONS Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art
The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University
The 18-meter Colossi of Memnon are the surviving statues of a giant temple built by Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Due to cracks from an earthquake, one statue made sounds at dawn, which the Greeks linked to the myth of the hero Memnon. This mysterious "singing" stopped after Roman restoration, and two sphinxes from this temple complex now decorate an embankment in St. Petersburg.
Luxor, 2024.
Standing Mummiform Figure of Osiris
664–332 B.C.E.
Caption
Standing Mummiform Figure of Osiris, 664–332 B.C.E.. Bronze, 10 9/16 x 2 15/16 x 1 15/16 in. (26.8 x 7.5 x 5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Collection Fund, 11.664. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
Catalogue description
Standing mummiform bronze figure of Osiris. Conventional posture. Hands grasping flail and crook; crown of Upper Egypt with feather on each side; large uraeus, no inscription. Heavy socket on base.
Condition:
Good, left side of base broken, nose slightly scarred. Apparently cast solid. Good routine workmanship.
Title
Standing Mummiform Figure of Osiris
Date
664–332 B.C.E.
Period
Late Period (probably)
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Bronze
Classification
Sculpture
Dimensions
10 9/16 x 2 15/16 x 1 15/16 in. (26.8 x 7.5 x 5 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Collection Fund
Accession Number
11.664 j
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at bkmcollections@brooklynmuseum.org
The Brooklyn Museum
Hi Everyone,
I saw this papyrus and I need help from experts to determine the age of the material itself (not the paintings).
• The paintings appear to be modern/recent (added later)
• I believe the papyrus material itself could be genuinely ancient
• The scene depicted is what appears to be the Weighing of the Heart from the Book of the Dead
• The material shows significant deterioration, holes, and fiber separation
Based on these photos, can any expert estimate the age of the papyrus material?
Thanks in advance!
Models for sculptor
limestone, early Ptolemaic period (4th-3rd century BC)
unknown provenance (inv. no. E 0.9.40015-0.9.40016)
Skilled Egyptian sculptors commonly used models on small, easily transportable slabs to practice or teach the art of relief carving. The use of these models dates back to the New Kingdom (16th-12th centuries BC), but became more widespread during the Late Ptolemaic period (7th-1st centuries BC).
The museum possesses two exquisite limestone model slabs of unknown provenance. One shows the profile of a ruler wearing a blue crown and the uraeus, the cobra symbol of royalty. The other model, carved on both sides, depicts the profile of a young ruler, wearing an elaborate wig, a uraeus on his forehead, and a broad, barely visible necklace.
On the back, however, there is a portrait of a female bust with a vulture-shaped headdress, a royal as well as divine attributes.
The three figures on the two slabs are drawn according to the canons of the most ancient period with the head in profile, the eye and the shoulder facing forward, but the stylistic rendering, the rounded face, the thick lips curled upwards, reveal a later execution, from the beginning of the Ptolemaic Period.
Castello Sforzesco
https://www.milanocastello.it/i-musei/galleria-antico-egitto/highlights/modelli-per-scultore
Fragment of the Book of the Dead of Pashed
papyrus, New Kingdom, XIX dynasty (13th-13th century BC), unknown origin (n. inv. E 0.9.40322)
The fragment of papyrus that belonged to the scribe Pashed reports in an elegant hieroglyphic the formulas for going out during the day, which Egyptologists called the Book of the Dead. Appeared at the beginning of the New Kingdom and in use until the Ptolemaic Era, the Book of the Dead consists of a series of magical-ritual formulas (192 in all) that helped the deceased to overcome the obstacles present in the journey full of dangers towards the new eternal life, in the afterlife. The formulas of the text could be written not only on the papyrus scrolls, which were placed inside the sarcophagus, but also partly on the sarcophagi, on the walls of the tomb themselves and on some of the objects of the funeral kit.
Castello Sforzesco
Mummy Portrait of a Woman
A.D. 175–200
Unknown artist/maker
On view at Getty Villa, Gallery 210, Roman Egypt
View full record details
Romano-Egyptian funerary portrait of a woman painted in tempera (pigments suspended in animal glue) on a cedar of Lebanon panel. Although not presenting a psychological depth comparable to the best encaustic portraits, this tempera product is notable for its bright, colorful presentation characterized by a bold linearity quickly executed. Tempera is a fast-drying medium typically applied in a variety of widths and lengths of brushstrokes, and is especially evident in the construction of the eyebrows, eyelashes, and tightly wound black curls of this Antonine lady (AD 98-117).
The shape of the face is composed of a series of arcs beginning at the hairline and continuing down to the mouth and double chin accented by a dimple. The lines on the neck beneath are termed “Venus rings,” and were often used on Roman portraits to communicate the vibrant sexuality associated with that goddess. The subject wears a pink tunic of red madder to indicate her ownership of an elite purple-dyed burial garment trimmed in red ochre. The customary clavi (woven stripes) were apparently painted quickly and somewhat haphazardly, affecting the visual movement of her slightly skewed torso with its sloped shoulders. Her jewelry is distinctive: at the center of her brow is a round hair ornament to which two beads have been attached. From these dangles what is likely intended to represent a quite large pearl. She wears gold hoop earrings of some thickness and elaboration. Her necklaces are typical for the ladies of these portraits: the larger is of an unidentified woven metal with a round gold pendant. The inner necklace is made of alternating pearls and semi-precious stones: emeralds would have been appropriate for this date and are often seen in these portraits. The thick panel is smaller relative to others and has one prominent transverse crack, but is otherwise in good condition. The two plugged dowel holes at the lower edge are of unknown function.
By proof of the triangular stamp on its reverse, this portrait once belonged to the collector and dealer Theodor Graf (1840-1903), and this suggests that it was very likely found at Er-Rubayat (from whence he sourced his collection). The distinctive style of certain features, such as the mouth, eyebrows, eyes, and Venus rings on the neck are very similar to a Portrait of a Man in Vienna, Kunsthistoriches Mus3f eum Inv. x432.
Full Artwork Details
Title:
Mummy Portrait of a Woman
Artist/Maker:
Unknown
Date:
A.D. 175–200
Medium:
Tempera on wood
Dimensions:
Object: 28.2 × 14.5 cm (11 1/8 × 5 11/16 in.)
Place:
Egypt (Place Created)
Culture:
Romano-Egyptian
Object Number:
79.AP.129
Department:
Antiquities
Classification:
Painting
Object Type:
Panel
History of this Artwork
Provenance
before 1903
Theodor Graf, AustrianAustrian, 1840 - 1903(Vienna, Austria)
sold to Alfred Emerson.
before 1922 -
Alfred Emerson(Paris, France)
- 1932
Private Collection
[sold, Gemalde alter und neuer Meister : hellenistische Portrats aus dem Fayum, Miniaturen, Stiche, Skulpturen, Arbeiten in Silber und Gold..., Dorotheum Kunstabteilung, Vienna, November 24, 1932, lot 33.]
- before 1933
Flinker Collection(Vienna, Austria)
- 1942
Private Collection(New York, New York)
[sold, American Furniture, Kende Galleries, New York, September 26, 1942, lot 167, to Joseph Brummer.]
1942 - 1947
Joseph BrummerHungarian, 1883 - 1947
by inheritance to his heirs, 1947.
1947 - 1949
Estate of Joseph BrummerHungarian, 1883 - 1947
[The notable art collection belonging to the estate of the late Joseph Brummer, Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, May 11, 1949, lot 45.]
- 1964
Ernest BrummerHungarian, 1891 - 1964(New York, New York)
by inheritance to his wife, Ella Brummer, 1964.
1964 - 1979
Ella Baché Brummer
[sold, the Ernest Brummer Collection, Galerie Koller, Zurich, October 16-19, 1979, lot 4, to the J. Paul Getty Museum.]
Bibliography
Buberl, Paul. Die griechisch-ägyptischen Mumienbildnisse der Sammlung Th. Graf. Vienna: 1922, p. 55, no. 46.
Dorotheum, Vienna. Sale cat., November 24, 1932, lot 33.
Drerup, Heinrich. Die Datierung der Mumienportraets. Paderborn: 1933, pp. 47-48, 66, no. 34; pl. 20 b.
Kende Galleries, New York. Sale cat., September 26, 1942, lot 167.
Parke-Bernet, New York. Sale cat., Joseph Brummer Coll., Part II, May 11-14, 1949, p. 10, lot 45.
Hahl, Lothar. "Zur Erklaerung der niedergermanischen Matronendenkmaeler," Bonner Jahrbucher 160 (1960), pp. 9-49, p. 20, no. 55.
Parlasca, Klaus. Mumienportraets und verwandte Denkmaeler. Wiesbaden: 1966, p. 75, n. 96.
Galerie Koller, Zurich. Sale cat., The Ernest Brummer Collection, October 16-19, 1979, p. 21, no. 4.
Parlasca, Klaus. Ritratti di Mummie. Repertorio d'arte dell'Egitto greco-romano (A. Adriani, ed). 2 ser. Vol. III. (Roma : "L'Erma" di Bretschneider, 1980), p. 60, no. 644; pl. 152.3.
Thompson, David L. Mummy Portraits in the J. Paul Getty Museum (Malibu: J. Paul Getty Museum, 1982), pp. 58-59, no. 12, ill.
Borg, Barbara. Mumienportra¨ts: Chronologie und kultureller Kontext (Mainz: Ph. von Zabern, 1996), p. 47, 59, 87, 105, 168, 171, 192; pl. 74,2.
Maram, Eve. "Dialoguing with My Demon." Psychological Perspectives 59, no. 1 (2016), pp. 24, ill.
Hope, Deborah. "Pearls Found in Ancient Greek and Roman Contexts in the Mediterranean." Mediterranean Archaeology 32/33 (2019/2020), p. 92 (cat. B-IMP38).
Barr, Judith. “From All Sides: The APPEAR Project and Mummy Portrait Provenance.” In Mummy Portraits of Roman Egypt: Emerging Research from the APPEAR Project. Marie Svoboda and Caroline R. Cartwright, eds. (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2020) https://www.getty.edu/publications/mummyportraits/part-one/11/, figs. 11.2; 11.5.
The J. Paul Getty Museum. "Faces of Roman Egypt" [exh.] Published via Google Arts & Culture (2021), https://artsandculture.google.com/story/YQVRtpUvIK_TtA (acc. April 7, 2021), ill.
Leonard, Benjamin. "At Face Value." Archaeology (January/February 2022), pp. 40-1, ill.
Marlowe, Elizabeth. "The long, winding, and bumpy road: seeing museum antiquities as colonial legacies." The Routledge Handbook of Classics, Colonialism, and Postcolonial Theory. Katherine Blouin and Ben Akrigg, eds. (London: Routledge, 2025), p. 457, ill.
Exhibition
Fayum Portraits: Painted Portraits from Roman Egypt
A list of the locations of this exhibition
The J. Paul Getty Museum (Malibu)March 24, 1981 - December 1, 1997
The Getty Museum Collection
https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103TQE?tab=exhibitions
We were lucky enough to have this far tomb to ourselves! The silence was profound and deafening, my ears hurt trying to make sense of the quiet. Truly a spiritual and beautiful place of rest
Egyptian royalty switched to underground tombs starting in the New Kingdom (dynasties 18-20), but the famous valley has a natural pyramid as a reference to the older kingdoms, likely why this location was chosen
Offering slab of Intef
12th Dynasty, ca. 1900 BC
During funerary rituals, offerings intended for the deceased were laid on an offering slab at the cult place in the tomb. Offerings are depicted on the top of the slab. Water poured into the small basin could flow out through the channel. The surrounding text is an offerformula that ends with the names of Intef and those of members of his family.
Time:
12th Dynasty, ca. 1900 BC
Object Name
Offering table
Culture
Egyptian
Location of discovery:
Location unknown
Material/technology:
Limestone
Dimensions:
L 32 cm, W (with sout) 28.5 cm, D 7.5 cm, W 10 kg
Copyright
Art History Museum, Egyptian - Oriental Collection
Invs.
Egyptian Collection, INV 98
Provenance
Acquired before 1824
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Pectoral amulet depicting the god Anubis
At A Glance
On View
Period
ca. 1539-1190 BCE
Geography
Egypt
Material
Faience (glazed composition)
Dimension
H x W x D: 6.6 x 8.6 x 0.8 cm (2 5/8 x 3 3/8 x 5/16 in)
Accession Number
F1907.152
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1907.152
Object Details
Label
The central design of this amulet consists of a pair of jackals facing each other, each seated atop a shrine. The jackals represent Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of embalming, who was also the guardian of the cemetery. Above and behind each jackal are hieroglyphs giving two of the common epithets of Anubis: "Anubis who is embalmer," and "Anubis who is before the god’s place of embalming." The amulet itself is in the form of a shrine, and is pierced for suspending on a cord. Since the jackals represent Anubis, the god of mummification, this pectoral is a purely funerary type of amulet. It would have been placed on the chest of the mummy to ensure its safe passage into the next life.
Provenance
To 1907
Dikran G. Kelekian (1868-1951), Cairo, Egypt, Paris, France, and New York to 1907 [1]
From 1907 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Dikran G. Kelekian in 1907 [2]
From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
Notes:
[1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1581, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
[2] See note 1.
[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History
A Collector’s Eye: Freer in Egypt (January 28, 2023 to 2026)
Charles Lang Freer and Egypt (June 13, 1998 to October 2, 2011)
Art of Dynastic Egypt (December 15, 1976 to September 22, 1977)
Previous custodian or owner
Dikran Garabed Kelekian (1868-1951) (C.L. Freer source)
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
Origin
Egypt
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Type
Jewelry and Ornament
On View
West Building (Freer Gallery of Art), Gallery 20: A Collector’s Eye: Freer in Egypt
Keep Exploring
Related Resources
collections.si.edu
Date
BCE 1000s
Name
Freer, Charles Lang, Kelekian, Dikran Garabed
Place
Egypt
Topic
Dynasty 19 (ca. 1292 - 1190 BCE), Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Faience, Ancient Egyptian Art, Anubis (Egyptian deity), Protection, New Kingdom (ca. 1539 - 1075 BCE), Dynasty 18 (ca. 1539 - 1295 BCE)
Culture
Egyptians
On View
Yes
Relief with an offering scene
early 12th Dynasty, ca. 1980 BC
scene
Cheti and his wife stand before a richly laden table to receive offerings from their son. Between the couple are various items of funerary equipment. The fine red lines visible on the surface are traces of the grid that enabled the designer of the scene to adhere to the standard canon of proportions.
Time:
early 12th Dynasty, ca. 1980 BC
Object Name
Relief with an offering scene
Culture
Egyptian
Location of discovery:
Location unknown
Material/technology:
Painted limestone
Dimensions:
H 44 cm, W 77.2 cm, D 11.2 cm, W: 80 kg (estimated)
Copyright
Art History Museum, Egyptian - Oriental Collection
Invs
Egyptian Collection, INV 202
Provenance
1848, gift of Anton von Laurin
Kunsthistorisches Museum
https://www.khm.at/en/artworks/relief-with-an-offering-scene-317926