Internship and Some Egyptian Faves

Yesterday was my first day as an intern in the Department of Egyptian Art at the Met.  I will be working in the library, amongst some of the greats of Egyptology, like Howard Carter and Flinders Petrie.  Well, amongst their books.

In honor of the start of my internship, I thought I would round up a list of some of my favorite Egyptian pieces in the Met’s collection.  Please excuse the rather fuzzy low-light photography.  No flash pictures, remember?

Fragment of the Face of a Queen, Dynasty 18, yellow jasper, from Amarna

Though just a fragment, the quality of this piece is still captivating.  As one of the gallery attendants asked me today, can you imagine what this was like when it was complete?  This is one of those works that makes me wish I could touch the art.  The yellow jasper is so vibrant and so finely polished that photos don’t do it justice.  One of the ways we can tell that this fragment is from a female statue is not only because of the treatment of the rather voluptuous lips, but also because of the yellow tone.  In ancient Egyptian art, women were typically depicted or associated with yellow skin, men with red.

Horus Protecting King Nectanebo II, Dynasty 30, meta-greywacke, from Heliopolis

I love this statue.  Love.  The artistry is mind-blowing.  And I think it’s kind of awesome how Horus is standing over the pharaoh with that badass bird look on his face.

Cat Statuette, Macedonian and Ptolemaic Period, bronze

I’ve always been fond of this guy.  I mean, it’s a kitty, how could I not be?  One thing I definitely have in common with the ancient Egyptians is a love for felines.

Seated Statue of Hatshepsut, Dynasty 18, indurated limestone, from Deir el-Bahri

Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty.  Shown in typical kingly attire with a kilt and the striped nemes headdress.  I love the juxtaposition of her delicate feminine features with the traditionally masculine symbols of kingship.  Hatshepsut rules!  Or ruled.

Temple of Dendur, Reign of Augustus Caesar, sandstone, from Dendur

Given to the United States by Egypt in 1965, this temple has been installed in the Met since 1978.  It’s a temple.  Inside a museum.  That makes it awesome.

Anubis Recumbent Statuette, Dynasty 26-27, limestone, from Saqqara

I love the musculature on this guy.  He was originally painted black, typical of representations of Anubis, though not typical of actual jackals.

Sphinx of Amenhotep III, Dynasty 18, faience, from Thebes

A particularly nice representation of Amenhotep III as a blue sphinx making an offering to the gods.

Whip Handle in the Shape of a Horse, Dynasty 18, ivory, garnet, and paint

A beautiful piece, plus I think it’s kind of funny (and disturbing?) to make a whip handle in the shape of the animal you’re whipping.

Mechanical Dog Figurine, Dynasty 18, elephant ivory

I saved one of the more unusual ones for last.  This is a little ivory dog figurine, possibly a toy?  The lever on the underside moves the dog’s lower jaw, which has two fangs like an opposite vampire. There’s also a hole where the base of the tail would go, presumably for another piece to fit in.