Antiquities Exhibits

The iconography and style of depictions of Horus and other traditional Egyptian deities were influenced by Hellenistic and, later, Roman traditions of representation, often combining trappings of power in ways that are striking to modern observers. "Roman period depictions of  the falcon-headed Horus have been  found  in  a  variety  of   materials  throughout  the  empire,  from  Egypt  to  Oxfordshire.  Usually  dressed  in  Roman  military costume, falcon-headed Horus is sometimes depicted on horseback, but more often standing, while seated figures are rare. Although smaller figures may have been dedicatory, larger stone and metal sculptures were probably objects of  public or private devotion." - Polychromy in Roman Egypt: A study of a limestone sculpture of the Egyptian god Horus by Joanne Dyer, Elisabeth R. O"Connell, and Antony Simpson. Sir Harold Bell observes, "...a new reli...

 Linen Shroud of a Woman Wearing a Fringed Tunic, 170–200 CE, said to be from Fayum at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This round-faced Romano-Egyptian woman wears a fine tunic with narrow clavi (stripes) and a mantle draped over her arms.  She must have been extremely wealthy as she wears a great deal of jewelry including earrings, three necklaces, six twisted gold bracelets, and three rings.  Curators are surprised by what appears to be red socks on her feet as there has been no recovery of socks in the archaeological record from this period. She apparently still practices Egyptian religion as she is flanked on either side by Egyptian deities including Anubis.  The Met curators point out that she seems to step forward from a light gray rectangle. This form could be interpreted as a doorway, a late reminiscence of the so-called False Doors of pharaonic Egypt, elaborate niches through which the dead were believed to communicate with the living.  Imag...

This funerary bed was clearly made for the Afterlife.  It has lion heads at one end, and leonine legs and feet.  The mummy would have been supported by a now-missing mattress of wooden slats and plaited rope. The painted images represent the deceased, Herty, and a woman, presumably his wife, Tshenenetere, in traditional Egyptian funerary scenes, but dressed in Roman style and drawn full-face. Herty is shown light-skinned and blond or balding, while the lady has darker skin and curly black hair. Their relationship is not made clear in the glyphs. The scenes which decorate the sides of the bed are drawn from the traditional Book of the Dead repertoire, with images of the Weighing of the Heart, the Presentation to Osiris, and Thoth opening the doors of heaven, among others.  The hieroglyphs are not neatly written, but they are readable and chiefly name the Egyptian gods and goddesses depicted.  The work may have been done somewhat hurriedly, as there are mistakes in car...

Apollo, also known as the Kouros Pisoni, "Buried by Vesuvius" at the Getty Villa until October 28, 2019. One of approximately 90 sculptures in bronze and marble that once adorned the Villa dei Papiri, Apollo, also known as the Kouros Pisoni, is depicted in the archaic style rather than the Hellenistic style that dominates most of the art from the villa. Upon its discovery, scholars identified this bust as an Archaic Greek origi nal from the sixth century BCE on account of its stiff, stylized appearance. More recent analysis, however, suggests that it may be an ancient forgery of an Archaic work: its bronze and copper alloy parallels that of later bronzes, its ragged edges were deliberately cast to appear broken, and drip marks on the back betray attempts to make it look antique. The once hollow eyes were filled and painted in the eighteenth century. It was found at the east end of the rectangular peristyle of the Villa dei Papiri in 1756. Image: Apollo, also know...