Serapeum sphinxes
Ptolemaic period, 300-250bce
Saqqara, Lower Egypt
A sphinx has a lion’s body and a king’s head – an expression of the king’s power as equivalent to the strength and might of a lion. The symbol can be found from the Old kingdom through to the final phases of ancient Egyptian history. The sphinx shown here depict a Ptolemaic king.
Statue of Goddess SekhmetNew
Kingdom, 29th Dynasty, 1410 – 1372 BCE
Kamak, Thebes, Upper Egypt
Derived from the ancient Egyptian word sekhem(“Powerfull”), this lion goddess is an aggressive deity who accompanies the king during war and helps him overcame his enemies. Her hands are showing resting flat on her thighs, her left hand is holding the ankh sign, which symbolizes life.
Elephant statue
Ptolemaic period to roman period, 332 BCE – 395 CE
Probably Alexandria, lower Egypt
During the old kingdom elephants could be hunted in Egypt, but over time this animal moves further south. The sculpture is shown in walking posture to represent motion. There are only two other known large Egyptian elephants statues: one in Aswan, the other in Rome.
Fragmented Statue
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, about 1295-1186 BCE
Memphis, lower Egypt
Although Incomplete, this statue can be identified as that of Kha-Em-Wese, son of Ramesses II, because of the inscription. The statue shows his squatting on his haunches, holding a shrine. The hieroglyphs have been cut carefully and polishing had begun, but the figure shows traces of chisel point work and numerous detail are missing.
Colossal head of king
Ptolemaic period, 332 - 222 BCE
Probably Alexandria, Lower Egypt
This head of Ptolemaic ruler, wearing the nemes headcloth with the uraeus snake, was part of a large standing statue, probably about 4 meters high. It could have been part of a pair that stood in front of a temple at Alexandria. The deep eye sockets were probably once inlaid with another coloured material.
