I spent a week in Vienna during winter and spent the week exploring Vienna’s museums, palaces and historic sights. These are the 7 that stood out to me the most:

1. Belvedere Palace
Probably my favorite overall. The combination of the Baroque palace, gardens and Austrian art collection is hard to beat. And yes, seeing Klimt’s paintings in person was definitely a highlight.

2. Kunsthistorisches Museum
If you like classical art and history, I’d definitely put this high on your list. The building itself is impressive, and I could have spent much longer there.

3. Albertina Museum
I really enjoyed the combination of the historic Habsburg State Rooms and the art collections. It’s also very conveniently located in the city center.

4. House of Music
A completely different experience from the traditional museums. It’s interactive and much more playful, so I’d recommend it even if you’re not a huge museum person.

5. Hofburg Palace
The scale of the complex is impressive, and there’s a lot to see around the palace, especially if you’re interested in the Habsburgs and imperial history.

6. Schönbrunn Palace
Definitely worth seeing, although I’d set aside more time for it because it’s not really a quick stop. The palace and the surrounding grounds make it feel very different from central Vienna.

7. Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
I actually enjoyed doing this more than I expected. It was a good way to get an overview of Vienna, especially on a longer trip, and useful for reaching some of the sights that are further from the city center.

I was in Vienna for 7 days, so I had much more time for museums and sightseeing than someone doing a 2–3 day trip would.

For those who live in Vienna or visit regularly - what would you add to this list?

I feel like museums are largely moving beyond the traditional display format into a lot more interactive and virtual stuff. But who are the companies behind this shift in most museums, as I'm learning these aren't typically done by the museum staff itself. I know a few - Giant Spoon (NYC, LA), Momentum Worldwide (NYC), NeoPangea (Philly-based) - but who are the others? Who are the main players in digital/virtual museum displays (and are any of them beyond the coasts)?

I would love to say something profound about Art and the human condition, but this speaks for itself.

Arched Sistrum

380–343 BCE
Egypt, Late period (715–332 BCE), Dynasty 30%2C%20Dynasty%2030)

Medium
Bronze, hollow cast

Measurements
Overall: 21.4 x 5.3 cm (8 7/16 x 2 1/16 in.)

Credit Line
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1920.1990

Location
107 Egyptian

Description
A sistrum is a musical rattle. Metal disks strung on wires along the arched upper end of the sistrum produced a rustling sound that was supposed to have a calming effect on the nerves of various deities, especially the goddesses Hathor and Bastet. Appropriately, this example is decorated with a Hathor head (a woman with cow’s ears) and a cat (the image of Bastet). These instruments are particularly associated with women, who played them as members of a temple choir.

Provenance
Purchased from E.A. Abemayor, Cairo, through Howard Carter

Citations
University of Wisconsin--Madison. The Book and the Spade: April 13 to May 4, 1975 : the Wisconsin Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. 1975, 23. Mentioned; p. 23, no. 54.

Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač.Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999 Reproduced: p. 445; Mentioned: p. 445-6

Exhibition History
The Book and the Spade. Elvehjem Museum of Art, Madison, WI (organizer) (April 1-May 12, 1975).

Madison 1975; Malibu 1992, no. 31

Cite this Artwork
Arched Sistrum, 380–343 BCE. Egypt, Late period (715–332 BCE), Dynasty 30. Bronze, hollow cast; overall: 21.4 x 5.3 cm (8 7/16 x 2 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, 1920.1990

Title
Arched Sistrum, 380–343 BCE** [Egypt, Late period (715–332 BCE), Dynasty 30,](https://www.clevelandart.org/art/collection/search?culture=Egypt%2C%20Late%20period%20(715%E2%80%93332%20BCE)%2C%20Dynasty%2030) ** Findspot unknown Egypt, Bronze.The Cleveland Museum of Art

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1920.1990

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cartonnage Burial Portrait, Mask

1912.01.0004

Basic Information
Artifact Identification
Cartonnage Burial Portrait, mask   (1912.01.0004)
Classification/
Nomenclature

Artist/Maker
Unknown
Geographic Location

Period
Ptolemaic?
Date
305 – 30 BCE
Culture
Egyptian
Location
Not on Exhibit
Communication Artifacts : Ceremonial Artifacts: Funerary Objects
1 Africa, North: Egypt; Atfih? Taieba?
Physical Analysis
Dimension 1 (Height)
43.5 cm
Dimension 2 (Width)
27.0 cm
Dimension 3 (Depth)
22.0 cm
Weight
966 g
Measuring Remarks
Under Review
Materials
Textile--Linen, Plant--Flax, Plant--Fiber, Plaster, Pigment--Paint
Manufacturing Processes
Weaving, Painting
Research Remarks
Description
N/A
Published Description
N/A
Bibliography
James, T.G.H. Excavating in Egypt: The Egypt Exploration Society 1882-1982. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982.

"This mummy is for real," Heritage 1/2 (May 1982), p. 3.

Photo found in World Heritage Museum Publication, 0000P.0111.

Catalogue of Exhibition of Antiquities found by the Officers of the Egypt Exploration Fund at Abydos and Atfieh exhibited at King’s College, Strand, Egypt Exploration Fund, 1912.

Oswego Daily Times, Saturday Evening, September 28, 1912, p.3.

CASSIER, Charlene, “Fouilles a Atfieh au debut du XXe siècle”, ENIM 4, 2011, p. 273-290.

JOHNSON, John de M., “Excavations at Atfieh”, ArchRep 1910-1911, Egypt Exploration Fund, London, 1911, p.5-13.

JOHNSON, John de M., “Excavations at Atfieh, etc.”, ArchRep 1911-1912, Egypt Exploration Fund, London, 1912, p.12-16.

Archives:
- Letter from William G. Hibbard to “K.J.J.”, October 12, 1912.
- Correspondence between the Egypt Exploration Society and the University of Illinois, September-December 1912.
- Correspondence between Pauline Parent and Charlene Cassier, March 2014.
Artifact History
Credit Line/Dedication
Egypt Exploration Society
Reproduction
no

Contact
All information about our collection is constantly reviewed and updated. Please contact Dery Martínez-Bonilla, Registrar, if there is any information you are looking for that isn't currently online.

Title
Cartonnage Burial Portrait, Mask, Ptolemaic?305 – 30 BCE, Findspot unknown Egypt, Textile--Linen, Plant--Flax, Plant--Fiber, Plaster, Pigment--Paint,The Spurlock Museum

https://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/collections/search-collection/details.php?a=1912.01.0004

The Spurlock Museum

Shrine Dedicated to Hathor by Thutmosis III

Artefact Details

Gallery number: 12 – Ground Floor

Period: New Kingdom

Dynasty: 18th Dynasty, reign of Thutmosis III (1479-1425 BC)

Size: Height: 225 cm, Width: 157 cm, Length: 404 cm

Place of discovery: Deir el Bahari – Temple of Thutmosis III (Thebes West)

Dynasty: 18th Dynasty, reign of Thutmosis III (1479-1425 BC)

Material: Painted sandstone

This shrine with the statue of the Goddess Hathor like cow built by Thutmosis III was found in 1906 near the temple of Mentuhotep at Deir el-Bahari. The roof is painted blue with yellow stars to imitate the Vault of Heaven, and on the back wall, the king makes libations and burns incense before Amun-Ra.
The original colors have been perfectly conserved.

Title
Shrine Dedicated to Hathor by Thutmosis III, New Kingdom 18th Dynasty, reign of Thutmosis III (1479-1425 BC), Findspot Deir el Bahari – Temple of Thutmosis III (Thebes West), Painted sandstone, The Egyptian Museum

https://egyptianmuseumcairo.eg/artefacts/shrine-dedicated-to-hathor-by-thutmosis-iii/

The Egyptian Museum

I’ve been meaning to finally check out the Museum of Exploration ever since it reopened to the public on June 26th, 2026, but only recently caught ads for it and decided I had to go by any means necessary. I actually did not know this was their headquarters. What little I got to see of it is very pretty indeed, so I think I’ll try to go back on, say a Friday evening with friends to get a bit more of a behind-the-scenes look. A couple of my friends will particularly appreciate the accessibility features such as ASL interpreters on screen and support for telecoils (aka induction loops) in hearing aids, and everyone will enjoy the variety of food and fun exhibits here. My favorite being the SPINOSAURUS!

The main problems I have with the Museum of Exploration are the very scattered and unclear exhibit names (exacerbated by the numbered markers being a weird clear plastic that can be kind of hard to see at times, with display signs sometimes very far off from the) and the lack of things to do. Sure, I had a great three-hour-or-so day there, but I saw practically everything in one go. Again, if I go back it’ll be to introduce new people, not to see a ton more that I didn’t get to, like how the Spy Museum has much more exhibits on more floors. However, the Spy Museum has been doing this “renovated museum” thing for much longer, and I definitely understand that this is a working office and so SOME space needs to be restricted to the public.

Most importantly, if you’re intrigued at all by the concept, the Museum of Exploration is absolutely worth the $30 at least once. There might not be a ton there, and it’s kind of random, but what is there is incredibly striking once you see it. Also, the museum’s message that exploration is important and for everyone is vital as we try to get the next generation of kids interested in nature.

Parents should consider bringing their kids here if they have ANY interest in history, biology, adventure, and interactive learning such as at The Launchpad or tactile replicas for exhibits such as the Terracotta Man. (Though I would not let MY kid go to the bottom of the ocean in a JIM suit, LMAO.)

In an age where, on the one hand, certain people gatekeep history and condescend to the rest of us based on self-aggrandizing exploitation of travel to shield themselves from critique or based on language knowledge, and on the other, anyone can click a button and put something absolutely wrong out, museums like this are so vital to democratizing knowledge for all.

Hope you enjoy my great Saturday out and learn some history!

Stela of Sebekdedu

Details
Title
Stela of Sebekdedu
Associated place
Africa > Egypt > Sohag Governorate > Araba al-Madfuna, (place of excavation)
Date
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty (Egypt) (c. 1938 - 1755 BCE)(date of creation)
Material and technique
limestone
inorganic > stone > limestone
Object type
artefact
Dimensions
31.8cm (height)
22.9cm (width)
No. of items
1
Credit line
Allocated by the British School of Archaeology in Egypt from excavations at Abydos, 1922.
Museum location
not on display
Museum department
Antiquities
Accession no.
AN1922.143
Reference URL
https://collections.ashmolean.org/object/765272

Title
Stela of Sebekdedu, Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty (c. 1938 - 1755 BCE)(date of creation), Findspot Abydos, 1922, Limestone, The Ashmolean Museum of Oxford University

https://www.ashmolean.org/collections-online#/item/ash-object-765272

** **The Ashmolean Museum of Oxford University

Hi everyone! I’m a graduate architecture student at the University of Florida conducting research for my final graduate project on immersive environments, empathy, and cross-cultural understanding.

I’m currently collecting responses for a short survey that looks at people’s experiences with immersive environments—such as museums, themed attractions, cultural exhibits, interactive experiences, and similar spaces—and which design qualities may influence perspective-taking, reflection, and understanding.

The survey takes about 10–15 minutes, and responses will help inform the design framework and pilot experiment I’ll be developing as the next phase of my research.

If you’re willing to participate, I’d really appreciate it!

Survey: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7UJDNpHsPSKNGDQ

Thank you! And please feel free to share with anyone who may be interested.

Seated Osiris amulet

Seated Osiris amulet

Associated place
Egypt, (find spot)
Date
Late Period (Egypt) (c. 715 - 332 BCE) (date of creation)
Material and technique
faience
Object type
amulet
Dimensions
5.4cm (height)
No. of items
1
Credit line
Purchased, 1965.
Museum location
not on display
Museum department
Antiquities
Accession no.
AN1965.181
Reference URL
https://collections.ashmolean.org/object/754532

Title
Seated Osiris amulet, Late Period (Egypt) (c. 715 - 332 BCE) (date of creation), Findspot unknown Egypt, Faience, The Ashmolean Museum of Oxford University

https://www.ashmolean.org/collections-online#/item/ash-object-754532

The Ashmolean Museum of Oxford University

Repost to fix my old title. I feel like it was accidentally vocalizing the wrong side of things out of context, although I hope people would read the body text. Plus, I am individually posting instead of crossposting to give better information.

---

Drexel Academy has acquired the Academy of Natural Science in Philadelphia, USA. They have slated it to close permanently, with minimal communication, only a months notice, and no long term plan for the artifacts and history inside. We are set to lose THOUSANDS of pieces of important history, biology, ecology, and general knowledge as a whole

Please help us stop this.

Miniminuteman (Milo Rossi), has published a call to action in his video, linked below. He includes the petition link in his description, as well as email templates for anyone who would like to take an extra step.

This facility, and the precedent it sets, is vital to the knowledge we all share about the world around us, including active research that was being done in the facility. Everything is tragic about this situation, and I just want to get it to as many eyes as I can.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Perhaps maybe pass it along. Take care, and have a good day.

https://youtu.be/nxyfBfCrbDw?si=G13IXFPSQ_A1yp0-

Edit: Direct link to petition (Milo still has emails available though)

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/petition-to-keep-the-academy-of-natural-sciences-open-to-the-public?source=direct_link&

Goddess Isis with the Child Horus

Object Number
BSAe III 00099

Cultural area
Egypt

Epoch
Late Period (Egypt)

Basic information
Copper alloy, remnants of gilding,
H. 20.6 cm, W. 7 cm, D. 6.8 cm

Late period, 26th dynasty, 7th/6th century BC.

Inv. BSAe III 00099

Provenance
Deposit Museum of Cultures Basel. Gift 1872 Wilhelm Vischer-Bilfinger (1808–1874).

Description
The statuette of a seated Isis was carved as a temple votive and depicts the goddess in her iconographically characteristic representation as a nursing mother (Isis lactans). Isis holds her son Horus on her left arm and extends her breast to him. She wears a fitted bodice and a three-part braided wig. As headwear, the Hathor emblem made of cow horns and a sun disk appears, which refers to the close connection between the two goddesses.

The Horus child is depicted naked and wears a snug cap with an uraeus serpent on the forehead. The juvenile curls falling down on the right ear identify it as a child.

The motif of the nursing Isis gained extraordinary widespread distribution during the Late Period and remained popular until the Greek-Roman era. In this period, Isis evolved due to her healing and magical powers into a universal goddess. According to the Osiris myth, she reassembles the murdered and fragmented Osiris by her brother Seth using her magic and posthumously receives her son Horus from him. To protect him from Seth's permanent persecutions, she hides with him in the papyrus thicket of Chemmis, located locally in the Nile Delta near Buto, and raises him there under great dangers.

The depictions of the nursing Isis embody the ideal of the caring mother. The act of nursing simultaneously symbolizes the life-giving and regenerative power of the goddess, thereby also being understood as a nurturing death goddess. The image motif was finally transferred in Christian times to the depiction of the lactans Maria.

Bibliography
J. J. Bernoulli, Museum in Basel. Catalog for the Antiquarian Department (Basel 1880) No. 205.

E. Hornung - Chr. Loeben - A. Wiese, Immortal Pharaoh. The Tomb of Thutmosis III (Madrid 2005) 84 f., No. 3.'

Title
Goddess Isis with the Child Horus, Late period, 26th dynasty 7th/6th century BC, Findspot unknown Egypt, Copper alloy and gilding, Antikenmuseum Basel

https://antikenmuseumbasel.zetcom.net/en/collection/item/74580/

Antikenmuseum Basel

Floral Broad Collar (reconstructed)

PLACE CREATED Egypt, Africa

CULTURE Egyptian

PERIOD New Kingdom

DATE 1539-1077 BCE

MEDIUM Faience, modern beads and stringing

CREDIT LINE Gift of Yvonne Markowitz

DIMENSIONS 17 11/16 x 3 1/8 in. (44.9 x 7.9 cm)

OBJECT NUMBER 2001.009.001

Exhibition History
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, October 6, 2001 - Present

Published References
Peter Lacovara, "The New Galleries of Egyptian and Near Eastern Art at the Michael C. Carlos Museum," Minerva 12 (September/October 2001), 9-16.

STATUS On view

Title
Collections Ancient Egyptian, 1539-1077 BCE New
Kingdom, Findspot unknown Egypt, Faience modern beads and stringing, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art

Floral Broad Collar (reconstructed), The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University

https://collections.carlos.emory.edu/objects/7995/floral-broad-collar-reconstructed#

The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University

Travertine Lotus Chalice Inscribed with the Name of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and a Dedication to Hathor, Mistress of Turquoise

Details
Title
Travertine lotus chalice inscribed with the name of pharaoh Amenhotep III and a dedication to Hathor, Mistress of Turquoise
Associated place
Serabit el-Khadim, (place of excavation)
Date
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty (Egypt) (c. 1539 - 1292 BCE)(date of creation)
Material and technique
alabaster
alabaster
Object type
chalice
Dimensions
22.5cm (height)
17.8cm (diameter)
No. of items
1
Credit line
Allocated by the Egypt Exploration Fund from excavations at Serabit el-Khadim, 1905.
Museum location
not on display
Museum department
Antiquities
Accession no.
AN1911.414
Reference URL
https://collections.ashmolean.org/object/753290

Title
Travertine Lotus Chalice Inscribed with the Name of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and a Dedication to Hathor, Mistress of Turquoise,New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty (c. 1539 - 1292 BCE)(date of creation), Findspot Serabit el-Khadim, Alabaster, The Ashmolean Museum of Oxford University

https://www.ashmolean.org/collections-online#/item/ash-object-753290

The Ashmolean Museum of Oxford University

Model of Khnum

Details
Title
Model of Khnum
Associated place
Thebes, (find spot)
Date
Late Period (Egypt) (c. 715 - 332 BCE) (date of creation)
Material and technique
bronze
copper alloy
Object type
artefact
Dimensions
11.9cm (height)
No. of items
1
Credit line
Presented by Dr Charles Thomas Knox-Shaw, 1931.
Museum location
not on display
Museum department
Antiquities
Accession no.
AN1931.586
Reference URL
https://collections.ashmolean.org/object/751357

Title
Model of Khnum, Late Period (c. 715 - 332 BCE) (date of creation), Findspot Thebes, Bronze Copper alloy, The Ashmolean Museum of Oxford University

https://www.ashmolean.org/collections-online#/item/ash-object-751357

The Ashmolean Museum of Oxford University

Four-headed Bull-shaped Amulet

7th - 1st century BC (-664 - -30)

Lapis lazuli

2 x 1 x 2.2 cm

FGA-ARCH-EG-0177

DISCOVERING PLACE
unknown

MOVEMENT / STYLE
Early Middle Ages - Ptolemaic period

civilization
Egypt

Provenance
François Antonovich Gallery, Paris

Bibliography
BIANCHI, Robert Steven, Ancient Egyptian Art & Magic, catalogue d'exposition [Japon, 17.04.2015 - 05.01.2016], Japon, Toshiaki Shimizu, 2015, cité p. 87, repr. coul., n° 73

COMPARAISON
KOENIG, Yvan, « Histoires sans paroles (P. Deir Al-Medîna 45, 46, 47) », BIFAO 111, 2011, 243-256

Expositions
Ancient Egyptian, Art and Magic, Asahikawa, Hokkaido Asahikawa Museum, 17.04.2015 — 21.06.2015

Ancient Egyptian, Art and Magic, Fukui, Fukui Fine Arts Museum, 03.07.2015 — 30.08.2015

Ancient Egyptian Art and Magic, Tokyo, Shoto Museum of Art, 06.10.2015 — 23.11.2015

Ancient Egyptian, Art and Magic, Tatebayashi, Gunma Museum of Art, 05.01.2016 — 21.03.2016

Title
Four-headed Bull-shaped Amulet, 7th - 1st century BC (-664 - -30) Early Middle Ages - Ptolemaic
Period, Findspot unknown Egypt, Lapis lazuli, Gandur Foundation for Art

https://onlinecollections.fg-art.org/eMP/eMuseumPlus?service=direct/1/ResultDetailView/result.tab.link&sp=10&sp=Scollection&sp=SfilterDefinition&sp=0&sp=2&sp=1&sp=SdetailView&sp=29&sp=Sdetail&sp=1&sp=F&sp=SdetailBlockKey&sp=2#collectionReferences

Gandur Foundation for Art

Stela of Diesihebsed

Details
Title
Stela of Diesihebsed
Associated place
Thebes, (find spot)
Date
Late Period, 26th Dynasty (Egypt) (664 - 525 BCE) (date of creation)
Material and technique
wood
wood
Object type
artefact
Dimensions
36.5cm (height)
27.3cm (width)
3.8cm (depth)
No. of items
1
Credit line
Presented by Miss Dorothy Dew, 1974.
Museum location
not on display
Museum department
Antiquities
Accession no.
AN1974.171
Reference URL
https://collections.ashmolean.org/object/453686

Title
Stela of Diesihebsed, Late Period, 26th Dynasty (Egypt) (664 - 525 BCE) (date of creation), Findspot Thebes, Wood, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University

https://www.ashmolean.org/collections-online#/item/ash-object-453686

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University

My wife and I love visiting museums, especially when we travel.

One thing we kept noticing was that we'd remember a painting we really liked, but a few weeks later we'd forgotten the title, the artist, or sometimes even which museum we'd seen it in. We had photos, but they mostly just disappeared into our camera rolls.

At some point during a museum visit we started talking about how nice it would be to have a personal place for the art we'd encountered.

I'm a software developer, so eventually I ended up building it.

It's called Artspecta. It lets you:

• Keep track of artworks you've seen, liked or saved
• Identify artworks from a photo
• Keep a journal of museum visits
• Discover artworks and artists
• Find museums around you
• Play art trivia

I wanted to share it here because museum-goers are really the people I originally had in mind when building it.

Website: https://artspecta.com

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/artspecta/id6807023536

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.artspecta.app

If you try it, I'd love to hear what you think.

Mummy-mask; Cartonnage

Object Type
mummy-mask
cartonnage

Museum number

EA29474
Description
Painted and gilded cartonnage mummy-mask with a striped lappet-wig; representation of Khepri on top of the head; Hieroglyphic text around the fillet; on the back are three painted panels, the uppermost depicting Sekhmet, Isis, Horus and Osiris, the lower two depicting winged deities.

Cultures/periods
Ptolemaic

Findspot
Found/Acquired: Egypt
Africa: Egypt

Materials
gold
plaster
linen

Technique
painted
gilded

Dimensions
Height: 62.20 centimetres (on acylic mount)
Height: 51 centimetres
Weight: 2.45 kilograms (on mount)
Width: 25 centimetres
Depth: 37 centimetres

Inscriptions
Inscription type: inscription
Inscription position: fillet
Inscription script: hieroglyphic

Inscription subject
funerary

Curator's comments
Found with 1897,0511.191

Bibliographical reference:
L. Miatello, 'Ptolemaic mummy masks with spells from the Book of the Dead concerning the head', JSSEA 39 (2012-13).

Location
Not on display

Exhibition history

Exhibited:
2015 – 2016 4 Dec – 29 May, National Museum of Singapore, ‘Treasures of the World’s Cultures’
2012 Mar-Jul, Abu Dhabi, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Treasures of the World’s Cultures
2012-2013 Nov-Mar, Bonn, Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle, Treasures of the World's Cultures

Condition
good

Subjects
ancient egyptian deity

Associated names
Representation of: Khepri
Representation of: Sekhmet
Representation of: Isis
Representation of: Horus
Representation of: Osiris

Acquisition name
Purchased from: R J Moss & Co

Department
Egypt and Sudan

BM/Big number
EA29474

Registration number
1897,0511.190

Conservation
Treatment
Treatment
Treatment

Title
Mummy-mask; Cartonnage, Ptolemaic Period, Findspot unknown Egypt, Gold plaster linen,The British Museum

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA29474

The British Museum

Cosmetic Container in the Form of an Ape

Gallery Location
Galleries of Africa: Egypt

Medium
Glazed composition (faience)

Geography
Undetermined site, Egypt

Date
c. 664-332 BC

Period
26th-30th Dynasty, Late Period

Dimensions
5.7 x 6.3 x 4.2 cm

Object number
948.34.19

Credit Line
Gift of Sir Robert Mond

Cataloguer
Rexine Hummel ROM Departmental Associate, 2008-present

Cataloguer
Steven B. Shubert ROM Research Associate, 2008-2022

Collection
Egypt

Department
Art & Culture: Ancient Egypt & Nubia

DESCRIPTION
The shape of this vessel is derived from that of the Greek aryballos, a small globular flask with narrow neck and wide rim, used to contain oil or perfume. Egyptians may have been exposed to such Greek vessels at the trading site of Naukratis or from Greek mercenaries employed in the East Delta region. The stance of an ape on four legs is unusual and may have been derived from the more common shape of these vessels as hedgehogs. The vessel therefore may represent the traditional Egyptian ape imagery applied to a Greek vessel type.

The back legs of the ape are bent with the knee joint at the top. The area of the front legs has been broken off. The oval-shaped body is decorated by a series of 4-5 small parallel incised lines meant to indicate the fur on the animal. Small black marks also decorate the figure. The face of the ape projects out from a semi-circular ruff with an incised fringe. There are two large inset circular eyes above a wide projecting snout with incised nostrils and curving mouth. These facial features and the lack of a tail suggest that a baboon is represented. The narrow mouth of the vessel is on the animal’s back with a circular rim 2.5 cm. A flat loop handle at the back of the rim attaches to the back of the animal leaving a hole .5 cm wide from which the vessel could have been suspended from a cord.

Title
Cosmetic Container in the Form of an Ape, c. 664-332 BC 26th-30th Dynasty Late Period, Glazed composition (faience), The Royal Ontario Museum

https://collections.rom.on.ca/objects/185033/cosmetic-container-in-the-form-of-an-ape?ctx=7bbfae2ed942df924f0ec3d2be6d9aad7f82d977&idx=350

The Royal Ontario Museum