Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt

Head of Pharaoh Tuthmosis III (detail). Dynasty 18, reign of Tuthmosis III, c. 1479–1425 BC. Karnak, Thebes, Egypt. Green siltstone; 46 x 19 x 32 cm. British Museum, EA 986. Image © Trustees of the British Museum, London.
Head of Pharaoh Tuthmosis III. Dynasty 18, reign of Tuthmosis III, c. 1479–1425 BC. Karnak, Thebes, Egypt. Green siltstone; 46 x 19 x 32 cm. British Museum, EA 986. Image © Trustees of the British Museum, London.
Shabti of Pharaoh Seti I. Dynasty 19, reign of Seti I, c. 1294–1279 BC. Tomb of Seti I, Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt. Blue faience; 22.8 x 9.6 x 9.6 cm. British Museum, EA 22818. © Trustees of the British Museum, London.
Figurine of the god Amun-Ra, c. 1069–715 BC. Third Intermediate Period. Karnak, Thebes, Egypt. Gilded silver; 24 x 5 x 10 cm. British Museum, EA 60006. © Trustees of the British Museum, London.
Seated statue of Pharaoh Seti II (detail), c. 1200–1194 BC. New Kingdom, Dynasty 19, reign of Seti II. Temple of Mut, Karnak, Thebes, Egypt. Quartzite sandstone; 164 x 49 x 85 cm. British Museum, EA 26. © Trustees of the British Museum, London.
Statue of the god Ra-Horakhty, c. 1279–1213. New Kingdom, Dynasty 19, reign of Ramses II. Tell el-Maskhuta, Egypt. Granite; 94 x 39 x 72 cm. British Museum, EA 1006. © Trustees of the British Museum, London.
Hathor capital, c. 874–850 BC. Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 22, reign of Osorkon II. Temple of Bastet, Bubastis, Egypt. Red granite; 195 x 80 x 84 cm. British Museum, EA 1107. © Trustees of the British Museum, London.
Figured ostracon: Ramses II suckled by a goddess, c. 1279–1213 BC. New Kingdom, Dynasty 19, reign of Ramses II. Probably Thebes, Egypt. Painted limestone; 31.2 x 18.2 x 3.3 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Given in honor of James N. Sherwin, Trustee 1957–1971, 1987.156.
Relief depicting an unnamed pharaoh, c. 2123–1980 BC. First Intermediate Period / Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 11. Egypt. Limestone; 53.8 x 34.5 x 7 cm. British Museum, EA 1819. © Trustees of the British Museum, London.
Temple relief of Pharaoh Ptolemy I, c. 305–285 BC. Ptolemaic Period, reign of Ptolemy I. Temple of Hathor, Kom Abu Billo, Egypt. Limestone; 34 x 106.5 x 16 cm. British Museum, EA 649. © Trustees of the British Museum, London.
Fragment from the sarcophagus lid of Pharaoh Ramses VI, c. 1143–1136 BC. New Kingdom, Dynasty 20, reign of Ramses VI. Tomb of Ramses VI, Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt. Conglomerate; 98 x 82 x 46 cm. British Museum, EA 140. © Trustees of the British Museum, London.
Three kneeling figures in poses of jubilation, c. 715–332 BC. Late Period. Egypt. Bronze; h. 24.5–30.5 cm. British Museum, EA 11498, EA 11496, EA 11497. © Trustees of the British Museum, London.

Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt

Sun, 03/13/2016 to Sun, 06/12/2016

The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Hall

Centennial Exhibition

Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt brings 3,000 years of ancient history to life through some of the finest objects from the vast Egyptian holdings of the British Museum, from monumental sculpture to exquisite jewelry, supplemented by masterworks from the Cleveland collection. While many objects here were created to project a regal image of pharaoh, the story that emerges through this exhibition is also one of a country divided by civil war, conquered by foreign powers, or ruled by competing kings. These ancient rulers themselves were not always male, or even Egyptian, but they shared in the challenges of ruling one of the greatest civilizations the world has seen.

The presentation of Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt is a collaboration between the British Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art. The exhibition in Cleveland is made possible by Baker Hostetler, with additional support from the Selz Foundation.

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Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt