Exhibition Highlights

Boat from the Tomb of Amenhotep II

The pharaoh's actual river ship sailed the Nile in his lifetime (18th Dynasty), but this 8-foot-long wooden model is made for the river in the underworld. It is painted with scenes of the god Montu, who smites the enemies of Egypt.

Boat from the tomb of Amenhotep II, 18th Dynasty, reign of Amenhotep II, 1427-1400 BCE, painted wood. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

Canopic chest of Queen Nedjmet

The jackal Anubis, who oversaw embalming and guarded the body, was frequently depicted on funerary objects such as canopic chests—boxes that enclosed the four jars containing the mummy's organs. A sculpted Anubis lies on top of this chest, his power reinforced by the painted figure on the front.

Canopic chest of Queen Nedjmet, Late 20th Dynasty, c. 1087-1080 BCE, gilded and painted wood. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

Amuletic plaque of Maat

The two feathers this figure holds identify her as Maat, goddess of truth and justice. It would have been placed below the breast of a mummy. The heart of a deceased person was weighed against the feather of Maat during judgment in the underworld.

Amuletic plaque of Maat, 21st Dynasty, c. 1000 BCE, gold. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

Funerary Mask of Wenudjebauendjed

Gold was known as "flesh of the gods", with particular ties to the luminous sun. By representing the sun god in his tomb, the deceased was associated with the sun's miraculous death and daily rebirth.

Funerary mask of Wenudjebauendjed, 21st Dynasty, reign of Psusennes I, 1039-991 BCE, gold. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

Osiris Resurrecting

The myth of Osiris told of his murder and dismemberment, which was subsequently collected in its parts, wrapped, and reborn with divine assistance. To be resurrected, a dead Egyptian needed to imitate the form of Osiris. An unusual image of this very moment simultaneously represents Osiris and the deceased in his form.

Osiris resurrecting, 26th Dynasty, 664-525 BCE, gneiss, with a headdress in electrum and gold. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

The chair of Sit-Amun

Many objects in the tombs were meant to assist the deceased in their next life, such as clothing, furniture, and toiletries. Made for the daughter of King Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BCE), this chair is adorned with images of deities who protected women and children.

Chair from tomb of Yuya and Tuya, 18th Dynasty, reign of Amenhotep III, 1390-1352 BCE, wood and gold. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

Sphinx of Thutmose III

The bond between the sun and the pharaoh is an idea almost as old as Egypt itself. A sphinx representing the pharaoh visualizes the king's connection with the sun. Lions in ancient Egypt inhabited the edges of the desert, so were believed to be guardians of the horizon and of the sun.

Sphinx of Thutmose III, 18th Dynasty, reign of Thutmose III, 1479-1425 BCE, granodiorite. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

Tomb of Thutmose III

The centerpiece of the exhibition is the recreated tomb of Thutmose III (1479-1425 BCE), its walls and ceiling completely painted with the Amduat, magical text to guide the pharaoh on his journey to immortality. The Amduat depicts the treacherous route the king's soul must take through the underworld, to emerge reborn 12 hours later with sun's rising.

Sarcophagus of Nitocris

At 6,686 lbs., the red granite lid of the massive sarcophagus of Nitocris, daughter of Psamtik I, is the heaviest object in the exhibition.

Sarcophagus lid of Nitocris, 26th Dynasty, 664-525 BCE, red granite. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo.