Visiting Ancient Egypt at the Met
When planning my trip to New York City, the first thing I wanted to do was visit the Met. I love art, and the Metropolitan has an incredible collection. Because the museum is so huge, I’ll have a couple posts about my visit. This post is all about taking a trip to ancient Egypt via the Egyptian section of the museum.
The Met’s Egyptian collection is extensive. You can explore 39 rooms displaying over 25,000 objects. The collection dates from the Paleolithic (300,000 B.C.) to the Roman period (4th century A.D.).
The museum has been conducting archaeological work in Egypt since 1906. More than half the collection comes from digs undertaken between 1906 and 1941. The Met currently has 2 active excavations in Egypt, as well as 1 in Greece and 1 in Turkey. What? Is there still time to become an archaeologist??
The Temple of Dendur
One of the most popular destinations in the Egyptian galleries is the Temple of Dendur. The Roman emperor Augustus built the temple more than 2,000 years ago, around 15 B.C. This small temple honored the goddess Isis, as well as Pedesi and Pihor, the sons of a local Nubian chieftain.
As you may well imagine, the temple of Dendur is the only ancient Egyptian temple in the United States. The Egyptian government gave it to the U.S. in 1965. It was taken apart in Egypt, packed into 660 crates, transported by ship, and put back together again, block by block, at The Met.
The temple comes from Lower Nubia, about 50 miles south of modern Aswan. The temple was dismantled to save it from rising waters after the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
The Met has placed the temple beside its own little lake inside the Sackler Wing of the Egyptian galleries. It’s really amazing. There’s an entire wall of windows on one side, and spectacular mood lighting. The story of how the Nubian monuments were rescued is fascinating. Learn more here.
The Sphinx of Hatshepsut was one of my favorites in the Egyptian collection. Maybe THE favorite. Find the Sphinx of Hatshepsut right next to the Temple of Dendur in Gallery 131.
Ancient Egypt Redux
The Met’s Egyptian collection gives us a picture of ancient Egyptian history, art, culture and daily life. Over the entire course of ancient Egyptian civilization. Wow. I have personally created the following categories for your viewing pleasure:
- Favorite sarcophagi
- Favorite couples
- Painting type-thingies
- Awesome statues
and, finally,
- Miscellaneous cool stuff.
Favorite Sarcophagi and Mummy Cases
A sarcophagus is what I tend to think of when I hear the words “ancient Egypt.” Technically, a sarcophagus is a stone coffin, so many of these are more properly mummy cases or coffins made of materials other than stone, but you get the idea.
The ancient Egyptians mummified the remains of important people and put the mummy in a sarcophagus or coffin to protect it. The coffins are inscribed or decorated in various marvelous ways. Completely covered in gold and hieroglyphics is my personal favorite.
Coffin of the priest of Heryshef, Nedjemankh
Coffin of Irtirutja
This elaborately decorated coffin belongs to Irtirutja, whose mummy is also in the museum’s collection. Irtirutja was a priest in Akhmim. The inscription on his coffin lists 7 preceding generations, including his father Harresnet and his mother Taneferti, a musician.
The coffin’s decoration includes a winged scarab beetle on the head, a broad collar with falcon terminals on the chest, various deities in the center, and the god Anubis on the feet. Love the details!
Sarcophagus of Djedhor
- Djedhor was a royal scribe as well as a priest of Min and Hathor. Besides his name and titles, the inscription on his stone sarcophagus also mentions his mother Tikas. I love his expression. He looks like a guy with a sense of humor. And I think he liked to eat.
The coffin on the right belonged to an anonymous elderly woman. She was buried on a hillside, in a chamber constructed of rough rock slabs. The Met’s description reads, “Both box and lid are crudely hollowed out of two sections of a sycamore log, and the painted decoration…is rather clumsy.”
Well, maybe this was a DIY coffin. I like it because it represents a somewhat average Egyptian. While I’m sure she was well-off to be mummified and have a coffin at all, it gives some idea of what a “regular” person’s burial may have been like. I suspect her ears may have been a bit exaggerated.
Sarcophagus of Harkhebit
Harkhebit was a “Royal Seal Bearer, Sole Companion, Chief Priest of the Shrines of Upper and Lower Egypt, and Overseer of the Cabinet.” His tomb was a great shaft over sixty feet deep sunk into the desert and solid limestone bedrock of a Late Period cemetery.
The Egyptian government excavated the tomb in 1902. A badly decomposed gilded cedar coffin and a mummy wearing a mask of gilded silver, gold finger and toe stalls, and several amulets were inside. The finds went to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, while the Met purchased the sarcophagus from the Egyptian government.
Technically, the sarcophagus is one of the masterpieces of late Egyptian hard-stone carving. The long text on the lid comes from the Book of the Dead. I love both the beautiful greywacke material this sarcophagus is made of and Harkhebit’s serene and slightly smiling expression. (Greywacke is a very hard type of sandstone, characterized by a dark color and a coarse-grained structure.)
Mummy Mask of Roman Period
Plaster masks were popular in Middle Egypt. Their appearance could be strikingly individual. You can see the Roman influence. Personally, I like her eyebrows. This woman wears a long Egyptian-style wig made of plant fibers and a deep-red tunic with black stripes. Her jewelry includes a lunula (crescent pendant) and snake bracelets. The mask was attached to the mummy through the two holes at the lower edge of her tunic.
The back of her head rests on a decorated support. Over the top of her head, a gilded wreath encircles a scarab beetle. The beetle represents the sun appearing at dawn, a metaphor for rebirth.
Favorite Couples
Yuny and His Wife Renenutet
These figures represent Yuny seated next to his wife Renenutet. Both held high secular and religious positions. Yuny was a chief royal scribe, among other things.
Renenutet affectionately places her right arm around her husband’s shoulders. In her left hand, she holds a heavy bead necklace called a menat. Menat necklaces were ritual implements, often used in the service of the goddess Hathor.
Yuny and Renenutet wear the elaborate wigs and fine linen attire fashionable in their time. Renenutet wears a lotus fillet and a necklace called a broad collar. The couple sit together on a bench with elegantly carved lion-paw feet. I find their haughtiness endearing.
The Royal Acquaintances Memi and Sabu
This statue evokes the intimacy of Memi and his companion, Sabu. Notice how couples end up looking alike?
Standing Statue of Merti and His Wife
Merti was a high official and provincial governor. Eleven exceptionally large wooden statues were found in his tomb. Five are in the Met’s collection. Another 5 are in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, and one is in the Medlhavsmuseet, Stockholm. These are so unique, we’re lucky to have them at the Met.
Paintings and such
The Met has an amazing collection of paintings that are copies of the original art on tomb walls in Thebes. Most of the watercolor facsimiles were made between 1907 and 1937 by members of the Museum’s Egyptian Expedition. I absolutely love these. I wish I could go back in time and be a painter and create them. I’d have to get some artistic talent first, though.
I wasn’t able to identify a couple of the artworks I photographed. If you can help me out, let me know in the comments section.
Amenhotep III and his Mother, Mutemwia, in a Kiosk
This facsimile painting copies the focal point of an offering scene in the tomb of an official at Thebes. Amenhotep III is enthroned beneath a kiosk. The king’s mother Mutemwia stands behind him. The facsimile was painted at the tomb in 1914 by Nina de Garis Davies.
Menna and Family Hunting in the Marshes, Tomb of Menna
- The painting at the top of this photo was copied from the original in Menna’s tomb chapel. It shows Menna fishing and fowling in the papyrus marshes.
Menna is on the deck of a papyrus skiff, along with several members of his family. Both the papyrus thicket and the water beneath his boats are teeming with wildlife, including birds, fish, even a crocodile and a small cat.
The marshes on the fringes of the Nile Valley were considered liminal zones. The untamed creatures that inhabited them were identified with the enemies of maat, the proper order of the cosmos. By defeating them, Menna was maintaining the Egyptian world.
This photo cuts off the right-hand side of the scene. You can see the complete artwork on the Met’s website here.
Block from a Relief Depicting a Battle
Builders reused this painted relief block in the foundation of Ramesses IV’s mortuary temple, subsequently excavated by the Metropolitan Museum. Soldiers are trampled under the horses that pull the royal chariot. Ouch.
Awesome statues
Sakhmet
Sakhmet is the goddess who represents the forces of violence and unexpected disaster. The sun disk she wears symbolizes her potential for danger. Not to mention the fact her head is that of a lion. Ahem.
Egyptian physicians were usually priests of Sakhmet, because treating illness required appeasing her. The ankh sign she holds in her left hand symbolizes how she bestowed life by withholding her power. I kinda like Sakhmet. That’s why I took my picture with her so much. There’s a whole row of Sakmets in Gallery 131, near the Temple of Dendur. You can also find her in Gallery 135.
Isis-Aphrodite
Isis-Aphrodite is a form of the great goddess Isis that emphasizes fertility. She was concerned with marriage, childbirth, and also with rebirth. I was startled at how Roman she appears.
Miscellaneous cool stuff
The gold tips for fingers and toes are called finger stalls and toe stalls. They decorated the feet of the dead. I’m not so sure about the feet of the living, as that probably wouldn’t be very comfortable. Ditto with the gold flip-flops. Not much bend in those, I’m guessing.
There are so many wonders in the Egyptian galleries. This is just a taste. I hope it will whet your appetite to see more. In my humble opinion, the Met’s Egyptian galleries are a must-see in NYC.
More must-sees in New York City
Grand Central Terminal
The New York Public Library
Holiday windows on 5th Avenue
The Woman in Gold and the Upper East Side
Central Park
See you there!
Information about the exhibits is from metmuseum.org. Photos are mine.
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Absolutely fascinating! They have an actual real Egyptain Temple, not a replica! And so many amazing artifacts. I have to visit. I love history and art so the Met has to be high on my list. Thank you for sharing.
Yes, it’s pretty amazing how they were able to save the temple, transport it here, and reassemble it! As a history and art lover you really have to see the Met 😉
..as far as gifts go, an ancient Egyptian temple is pretty cool. I just hope Ms B never gets wind of this, or else I’ll be in trouble. She already complained a lot about the socks she got as Xmas gift last year..
Stefan if you need some help shopping this year just give me a ring 😉
Reading this post makes me want to go back there 🤗 So much to see at the Met and the Egypt exhibit is pretty awesome. Thanks for sharing, great recap of the visit!
Paolo, thank you so much for reading! The Met is a wonderful museum and the Egyptian collection is really amazing. I’m glad it makes you want to go back—I want to go back too 🙂
Thanks so much Rob, I do hope it helps a bit. It is impossible to see everything at the Met in one visit, so one just has to prioritize. The Egyptian galleries are so worth it. Hope to be reading about your NYC visit soon 🙂
Great timing! We’ll be in NYC this summer, and this little piece of Egyptology is at the top of our To Do list! This list is a great help in our strategy planning, too. Just so much ground to cover at The Met, and only so many vacation days each year… 😉 Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard!
I also love art and the Metropolitan is one of my favorite museums ever! I wish I could see more collections like this one across the globe, cause I´m fascinated by this culture. I’ve been to Egypt once, but did not visit Pyramids and Luxor! #TheWeeklyPostcard
Hi Anna, it’s definitely one of my favorites too. I can’t wait to visit Egypt, but in the meantime the collection at the Met satisfies the ancient Egyptian culture cravings! Thank you for stopping by!
Wouldn’t mind a visit one bit! I became quite fascinated by Egyptian history at university! Thanks for linking up with #TheWeeklyPostcard!
I hope you can visit soon, I think you’d really enjoy it!
Incredible recap of the Met’s Egyptian collection. Every time I see photos of The Met, I’m reminded of the children’s book From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler… one of my favorites as kid. Your photos took me right back to that place in my imagination!
Sara, thanks for reading and for your kind words. I look forward to checking out the Mixed Up Files—sounds like it will be right up my alley!
I also love The Met and you sparked my interest in the Egyptian Collection. Your post provides excellent insight into daily Egyptian life. Though, like you, I think that the gold sandals and finger and toe stalls are best saved for the afterlife. Your post is informative, detailed and an enjoyable read. Well done!
Thank you, Dorothy! If I had the chance I might try out the gold footwear, truth be told 🙂
Loved the Egyptian Tour!! Egypt is even more-so at the top of my list of places I would LOVE to see in my lifetime. I had no idea that I could see some really marvelous Egyptian history and art here in the US.
Thanks for explaining how the US was able to get such gifts. It always concerns me to see things from other countries in museums. I worry they are stolen or advantages were taken. Shows you just how I view the world.
How do you know the Mummy Mask was a female? Looks like many masculine features –hands and neck.
I most liked learning about the goddess Sakhmet.
I spent some time searching online for info about the hieroglyphics stone blocks picture, but found nothing. It is a really cool image and piece of history. Thanks for including it.
Deb, thank you kindly for such a thoughtful comment. The Met had actually identified the mummy as female. Probably via X-ray bone analysis or something! I didn’t realize either what an extensive collection we have available to us, aren’t we lucky? Though visiting Egypt itself is at the top of my list, too!
The Temple of Dendur is my favorite spot in the museum. Still I didn’t know it was the only ancient Egypt temple in the US. Lots of interesting facts in this post. If you haven’t already you need to see the Egyptian collection at the British Museum in London. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
Anisa, I agree, the Temple of Dendur is a wonderful spot. The Met did a number of articles for it’s 50th anniversary that had lots of interesting info. I have been to the British Museum many years ago. I don’t remember much about the Egyptian collection there, so I will have to go back 🙂
Lovely! I wish I’d visited the Met when I was in NYC but I only had time for one museum and chose the Natural History Museum. I hope someday I can go back and see all this for myself! I love how detailed you’ve made your post. Good idea to break it into two.
Thank you, Neha! The Egyptian collection is truly worth seeing, as well as so much else at the Met. And I’ll have to try to get to the Natural History Museum. One is spoiled for choice for museums in NYC.
Wonderful this post makes me want to travel to Egypt. Great photography skills thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, Nikki! Seeing the collection at the Met made me want to see the real deal, too. Time to plan a trip to the Nile!
Sounds amazing drop by in Cape Town when you do then you can say you’ve traveled from Cape to Cairo 😂 I’m promoting my city heavily ha ha.
Great post, Cynthia! And I completely agree with your decision to break up your tour into a more manageable series of posts. The Met’s collection is just too big to sort out in one. I also like how you’ve detailed what you, personally, found interesting and inspiring, rather than just provide a list of what can be found there.
For those who’ve never visited, I always describe the Met as sort of the casino of museums. You go in first thing at open and then emerge, blinking at the harsh sunlight like you’ve been in a vast labrynth of caves for half a week. Having a strategy beforehand is essential or you just end up rushing throught or missing out on something you really wanted to see.
Thanks so much, Lynn. I really feel fortunate that we have such a wonderful collection of Egyptian art here in the U.S. Not only is the Met’s collection too big to sort out in one post, I think the Egyptian collection is! I had tons of photos I didn’t use. I think everyone who visits will find their own personal favorites.
I agree about having a strategy, that’s important for any really large museum. I didn’t have a very clear one, the main strategy being I will have to come back 🙂 No way to see it all in one go, so I just focused on the European paintings, the Egyptians, and some of the Greek and Roman statuary. That took all day!
The best strategy: I’ll be back! 😁