The Department of Egyptian Antiquities of the Louvre (French: Département des Antiquités égyptiennes du Louvre) is a department of the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the '' Venus de Milo''. A central ...

that is responsible for artifacts from the

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest riv ...

civilizations which date from 4,000 BC to the 4th century. The collection, comprising over 50,000 pieces, is among the world's largest, overviews Egyptian life spanning Ancient Egypt, the Middle Kingdom, the

New Kingdom New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

Coptic art Coptic art is the Christian art of the Byzantine- Greco-Roman Egypt and of Coptic Christian Churches. Coptic art is best known for its wall-paintings, textiles, illuminated manuscripts, and metalwork, much of which survives in monasteries ...

, and the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

, Ptolemaic, and

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

periods.Nave, pp.42–43

History

The department's origins lie in the royal collection, but it was augmented by Napoleon's 1798 expeditionary trip with

Dominique Vivant Dominique Vivant, Baron Denon (4 January 1747 – 27 April 1825) was a French artist, writer, diplomat, author, and archaeologist. Denon was a diplomat for France under Louis XV and Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 ...

, the future director of the Louvre.Mignot, pp 76, 77 After

Jean-François Champollion Jean-François Champollion (), also known as Champollion ''le jeune'' ('the Younger'; 23 December 17904 March 1832), was a French philologist and orientalist, known primarily as the decipherer of Egyptian hieroglyphs and a founding figure in t ...

translated the

Rosetta Stone The Rosetta Stone is a stele composed of granodiorite inscribed with three versions of a decree issued in Memphis, Egypt, in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle texts are in Anci ...

Charles X Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Lou ...

decreed that an Egyptian Antiquities department be created. Champollion advised the purchase of three collections, formed by Edmé-Antoine Durand, Henry Salt and Bernardino Drovet; these additions added 7,000 works. Growth continued via acquisitions by

Auguste Mariette François Auguste Ferdinand Mariette (11 February 182118 January 1881) was a French scholar, archaeologist and Egyptologist, and the founder of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities, the forerunner of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Early ...

, founder of the

Egyptian Museum The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum or the Cairo Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display a ...

in Cairo. Mariette, after excavations at

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, sent back crates of archaeological finds including '' The Seated Scribe''.

Rooms of the Egyptian Antiquities Department

Guarded by the ''Large Sphinx'' (c. 2000 BC), the collection is housed in around 30 rooms. Holdings include art,

papyrus Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, '' Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'') can also refer to ...

scrolls, mummies, tools, clothing, jewelry, games, musical instruments, and weapons. Pieces from the ancient period include the ''

Gebel el-Arak Knife The Gebel el-Arak Knife, also Jebel el-Arak Knife, is an ivory and flint knife dating from the Naqada II period of Egyptian prehistory (3500—3200 BC), showing Mesopotamian influence. The knife was purchased in 1914 in Cairo by Georges Aaron Bén ...

'' from 3400 BC, '' The Seated Scribe'', and the ''Head of King Djedefre''. Middle Kingdom art, "known for its gold work and statues", moved from realism to idealization; this is exemplified by the

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes ...

statue of

Amenemhatankh Amenemhatankh (his name means “Amenemhat lives”) was an ancient Egyptian prince of the 12th Dynasty, son of Amenemhat II. Attestations Amenhemhatankh is mentioned on a false door which was originally in his tomb but was found reused in the ...

and the wooden ''Offering Bearer''. The New Kingdom and Coptic Egyptian sections are deep, but the statue of the goddess

Nephthys Nephthys or Nebet-Het in ancient Egyptian ( grc-gre, Νέφθυς) was a goddess in ancient Egyptian religion. A member of the Great Ennead of Heliopolis in Egyptian mythology, she was a daughter of Nut and Geb. Nephthys was typically paire ...

and the limestone depiction of the goddess

Hathor Hathor ( egy, ḥwt-ḥr, lit=House of Horus, grc, Ἁθώρ , cop, ϩⲁⲑⲱⲣ, Meroitic: ) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion who played a wide variety of roles. As a sky deity, she was the mother or consort of the sky ...

demonstrate New Kingdom sentiment and wealth. File:Nakhthorheb praying-A 94-IMG 8373-gradient.jpg, Statue of Nakhthorheb, Room 2 File:Ancient Egyptian models of boats in the Louvre 2.jpg, Ship model, Room 3 File:Offering_bearers_Louvre.jpg, Statuettes of offering bearers, 12th dynasty, Room 4 File:Kohl case as monkey with palm-E 7985-IMG 4545-gradient.jpg, Kohl box monkey with palm tree, Room 5 File:Seated scribe with papyrus scroll Louvre-gradient.jpg, Seated scribe with papyrus scroll, Room 6 File:Horus-E 7703-IMG 4614-gradient.jpg, Statue of Horus, Room 7 File:Paris_757.jpg, Chair and table, Room 8 File:Cosmetics spoon img 0118.jpg, Cosmetics spoon, Room 9 File:P1200355_Louvre_Musicien_Amon_E3657_rwk.jpg, Colored stele of a harpist, Room 10 File:Sphinx A21, Louvre 122006 045 d1.jpg, Sphinx of Tanis, Room 11 File:Louvre_032007_09.jpg, Colossal statue of Ramesses II, Room 12 File:Sekhemre-Wepmaat Intef, Louvre.jpg, Sarcophagus of pharaoh Sekhemre-Wepmaat Intef, 17th dynasty, Room 13 File:Louvre_122006_039.jpg, Sarcophagus from the palace of Abou Rawash, 4th dynasty, Room 14 File:Libation vase E17356 mp3h9197-gradient.jpg, Libation vase in the name of Thutmose IV, Room 15 Rooms of the department are as follows: *1. Crypt of the sphinx. *2. Vestibule. *3. The Nile River. *4. Field labour. The mastaba. *5. Animal husbandry, hunting and fishing. *6. Writing and scribes. *7. Materials and techniques. *8. The home and furniture. *9. Jewels, clothing, and body care. *10. Leisure: Music and games. *11. The forecourt of the temple. *12. The temple. *13. Crypt of Osiris. The royal tomb. *14. Sarcophagi. *15. Mummies, embalming and burial. *16. Tombs. *17. The Book of The Dead. L'équipement funéraire. *18. Gods and magic. *19. Animals and the gods. *20. Naqaqa period. The end of prehistory *21. Thinite period. The first two dynasties. *22. The Old Kingdom. Seated Scribe. *23. The Middle Kingdom. *24. The New Kingdom. *25. The New Kingdom: the period of Akhenaton and Nefertiti. *26. The New Kingdom: Tutankhamun and his successors. *27. The New Kingdom: The period of Ramses. *28. The New Kingdom: The period of Ramses. Princes and courtisans. *29. The Third Intermediate Period. The Saite period. The beginnings of Persian domination. *30. From the last Egyptian Pharaohs to Cleopatra. The Nectenebos, Alexander the Great, and the Ptolemy dynasty. A: Roman Egypt. B: Coptic Egypt. C: The room Baouit. File:Egypte louvre 324 sarcophage.jpg, Outer sarcophagus of Chancellor Nakhti, Room 16 File:Osiris Book of the Dead.jpg, Osiris Book of the Dead, Room 17 File:Nefertoum E3502 mp3h8834.jpg, Nefertoum, Room 18 File:Louvres-antiquites-egyptiennes-p1020061.jpg, Bastet Cats, Room 19 File:Egypte louvre 313.jpg, Ivory hippopotamus, Room 20 File:Egypte louvre 294.jpg, Miniature vase, Room 21 File:Louvre 032007 18.jpg, Stele, Room 22 File:King of the Middle Empire-E 12924-IMG 9954-gradient.jpg, Statue Head of Senusret III, Room 23 File:Queen Tiye-E 25493-IMG 0327-gradient.jpg, Queen Tiye, Room 24 File:Akhenathon and Nefertiti E15593 mp3h8771-gradient.jpg, Akhenathon and Nefertiti, Room 25 File:Piay-E 124-IMG 4189-gradient.jpg, Piaÿ, doorkeeper of the Palace, Room 26 File:Nuovo regno, la dea hathor accoglie seth I, dalla valle dei re, 1294-1279 ac ca..JPG,

and

Seti I Menmaatre Seti I (or Sethos I in Greek) was the second pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt during the New Kingdom period, ruling c.1294 or 1290 BC to 1279 BC. He was the son of Ramesses I and Sitre, and the father of Ramesses II. The ...

, Room 27 File:Ram-headed falcon amulet-E 80-IMG 2503-with reflection-gradient.jpg, Amulet representing a ram-headed falcon, Room 28 File:Taharqa_presenting_god_Hemen_with_wine_E25276_mp3h9203.jpg, Taharqa presenting god Hemen with wine, Room 29 File:Copertura_della_mummia_di_tacheretpaankh,_stoffa_pressata,_stuccata_e_dorata,_III-I_sec._ac..JPG, Mummy, Room 30

Notable artifacts

Notable artifacts are as follows: *

Akhenaton Akhenaten (pronounced ), also spelled Echnaton, Akhenaton, ( egy, ꜣḫ-n-jtn ''ʾŪḫə-nə-yātəy'', , meaning "Effective for the Aten"), was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh reigning or 1351–1334 BC, the tenth ruler of the Eighteenth Dy ...

and

Nefertiti Neferneferuaten Nefertiti () ( – c. 1330 BC) was a queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, the great royal wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for a radical change in national religious policy, in which ...

sculpture * Amenophis IV sculpture *Amulet belonging to

Paser A PASER (an acronym from ''Particle Acceleration by Stimulated Emission of Radiation)'' is a device that accelerates a coherent beam of electrons. This process was demonstrated for the first time in 2006 at the Brookhaven National Lab by a team ...

*Angle harp *Annals of Thutmosis III *Aphrodite Anadyomene *Bas-relief of Prince

Khaemwaset Prince Khaemweset (also translated as Khamwese, Khaemwese or Khaemwaset or Setne Khamwas) was the fourth son of Ramesses II and the second son by his queen Isetnofret. His contributions to Egyptian society were remembered for centuries after his ...

*Apis Bull *Bas-reliefs from the

Temple of Satet The Temple of Satet or Satis was an ancient Egyptian temple dedicated to the goddess Satet, a personification of the Nile inundation. The temple was located on the Nile Valley island of Elephantine, Egypt. Founded during the late Predynastic Pe ...

Elephantine Elephantine ( ; ; arz, جزيرة الفنتين; el, Ἐλεφαντίνη ''Elephantíne''; , ) is an island on the Nile, forming part of the city of Aswan in Upper Egypt. The archaeological sites on the island were inscribed on the UNESCO ...

*Base and feet of a colossus of

Amenophis III Amenhotep III ( egy, jmn-ḥtp(.w), ''Amānəḥūtpū'' , "Amun is Satisfied"; Hellenized as Amenophis III), also known as Amenhotep the Magnificent or Amenhotep the Great, was the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. According to different ...

*Bastet *Bead net for a mummy *Beaker from a cemetery on Sai Island *Body of a Woman sculpture (probably Nefertiti) *Book of mythological images *Bowl of General Djehuty *Byzantine chandelier *Cartonnage of Ankhpakhered *Cat sculpture *A chair from the 18th or 19th dynasty *Chapel of the Tomb of Akhethotep *Chelidona's Coffin *Christ and Abbot Mena *Coffin lid of King Antef *Colossal statue of

Rameses II Ramesses II ( egy, rꜥ-ms-sw ''Rīʿa-məsī-sū'', , meaning "Ra is the one who bore him"; ), commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Along with Thutmose III he is often regarded as ...

*Comb *Cosmetic spoon *Couple in Wood *Cubit rod *Cupids Picking Grapes *Dagger from Gebel el-Arak *Detachable headrest *Divine standard *Door lintel *Drinking cup in the form of a lotus flower *Eagle censer *False door on the Stele of Sheshi *Female Nude statue *Figurine of a naked woman *Figurine of a seated woman *Foundation deposit from the Temple of Deir el-Bahri *Four baboons adoring the rising sun *Four Ramesses II vases *Fragment of a funerary shroud, known as "Portrait of Ammonios" *Fragment of a votive monument *Fragment of the Book of the Dead *Fragment of the Hunting Palette *"Frog" oil lamp *Funerary figurine of Ramesses IV *Funerary furniture of Chancellor Nakhti *Funerary hanging *Funerary statue of a Priestess of

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kin ...

*Funerary stele *Funerary stele of a father *Funerary stele with two orant figures *Furniture legs in the form of a nude woman *Gaia with Cupids *Game board in the form of a hippo *Game box in the name of Imenmes *Gilded cartonnage of the lady Tasheret-pa-ankh * Great Sphinx of Tanis *Guarded Lion of the Chapel of the Serapeum of Saqqara *Head of a colossal statue of Amenophis III *Head of a sphinx of King Djedefre *Hippo figurine *Hoe *

Horus Horus or Heru, Hor, Har in Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as god of kingship and the sky. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the ...

sculpture *Horus on horseback sculpture *Hypocephalus of Irethorrou *Imhotep the Wise Deified *Inventory and accounts from a temple of

Abusir Abusir ( ar, ابو صير ; Egyptian ''pr wsjr'' cop, ⲃⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲓ ' "the House or Temple of Osiris"; grc, Βούσιρις) is the name given to an Egyptian archaeological locality – specifically, an extensive necropolis ...

*Jar with portrait *Jonah wall-hanging *Khabekhent's funerary servant and ushabti chest *Knucklebones *Kohl pot in the form of a Nubian porter *Kohl Recipient:the god Bes *Krater *Large bottle with vine-leaf decoration *Large statue of Chancellor Nakht *Legging *Lintel from the tomb of Pairkep *Mask of a Woman of the 1st century *Mortuary Mask of Khaemwaset *Mummy in painted shroud *Mummy label *Mummy Mask of the early 12th Dynasty *Mummy mask of a boy *Mummy mask of a man with headrest *Mummy mask of a woman *Mummy of a man *Mummy of a woman with portrait *Mummy shroud and mask *Mummy's head *Necklace with fish pendants *Nile fishing scene *Nude male statuette *Offering table found at Meroe *Offering-bearer of the 12th Dynasty *Ostrakon with a royal profile *Paintings from the tomb of Metjetji *Paintings from the tomb of Unsu *Pair of clappers *Pair of sandals *Palm column of King Unas *Panel of the Virgin Annunciate *Panel portrait of a man *Patera *Pendant of King

Osorkon II Usermaatre Setepenamun Osorkon II was the fifth king of the Twenty-second Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and the son of King Takelot I and Queen Kapes. He ruled Egypt from approximately 872 BC to 837 BC from Tanis, the capital of that dynasty. After ...

*Pendant falcon of Ramesses II *Pilgrim flasks *Pillar believed to be from Bawit *Pinudjem's necklace *Portraits of men and women *Processional way of sphinxes *Pyxis or pyx *Queen Ahmose Nefertari figure *Queen Cleoptrat Making an Offering *Queen Khenemet-Nefer-Hedjet figurine *Queen Tiye *Ram Pendant *Ramesses II breastplate *Recipient with bowls *Reconstruction of a tomb of the cemetery of

Deir el-Medina Deir el-Medina ( arz, دير المدينة), or Dayr al-Madīnah, is an ancient Egyptian workmen's village which was home to the artisans who worked on the tombs in the Valley of the Kings during the 18th to 20th Dynasties of the New Kingdom ...

*Red terracotta canopic jars *Relief from the Temple of Monthu at Tod *Ring of Horemheb *Ring with horses *Royal and divine triad *Royal Sphinx of Pharaoh Achoris *Sarcophagus box of Ramesses III *Sarcophagus of Abu Roash *Sarcophagus of Dioscorides *Sarcophagus of Iniuia *Scene in the Nile marshes *Scribe's palette *Sennerfer's necklace *Sennefer, the king's head *Senusret, chief of the treasury *Shabti of Amenophis III *Shroud of a child's mummy *Sistreum of Henuttawy *Sobek-Re *Southern Church of Bawit *Spoon in the form of a bound ibex *Spoon in the form of a young girl *Sprang cap *Square of fabric *St. Menas *Statue of a priest of Bastet *Statue of Amenemhetankh *Statue of Karomana *Statue of King

Nectanebo II Nectanebo II ( Egyptian: ; grc-gre, Νεκτανεβώς ) was the last native ruler of Ancient Egypt, as well as the third and last pharaoh from the Thirtieth Dynasty of Egypt. He reigned from 358 to 340 BC. Under Nectanebo II, Egypt prosper ...

*Statue of Nakhthorheb *Statue of Osiris *Statue of Pendua and his father *Statue of Rakherka *Statue of the god Bes *Statue of the goddess

Sekhmet In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet ( or Sachmis (), also spelled Sakhmet, Sekhet, Sakhet among other spellings, cop, Ⲥⲁⲭⲙⲓ, Sakhmi), is a warrior goddess as well as goddess of healing. She is depicted as a lioness. Sekhmet is a solar de ...

*Statue of Wahibre *Statue of Sepa and Nesa *Statuette de femme nue *Statueette of a young boy *Statuette of King Ammenemes III *Statuette of Taharqa *Statuette of the crocodile-headed god Sobek *Statuette of Tuy *Statuette of Isis nursing Horus *Stele dated to Ramesses II *Stele of the master craftsman of the 11th Dynasty *Stele of the Serpent King of the 1st Dynasty *Stele of Princess Nefertiabet (4th dynasty) eating *Tablet of an apprentice scribe *Tamutnefret's coffins *The four canopic jars of Horesmsaf *The god Amun protecting Tutankhamun *The goddess Hathor welcomes Sethos *The harpist's stele *The sarcophagus of Madja *The Scribe Nebmeretef * The Seated Scribe *The Tod Treasure *The Tyre of Constantinople *The Zodiac of Dendera *Three cups from the Tod treasure *Three throwsticks *Torso of a Ptolemaic King *Toy *Tunic of pleated linen *"Twenty Squares" game board *Two-sided stele of Dedia *Vase in the form of an ibex *Vase in the form of the god Bes *Vase with the name of King Wenis *Wall from a temple of Ramessus II *Wall of the tomb of Akhetaa *Wall tile from the 20th Dynasty *Water jars and stand *Water pot in the name of the vizier Paser *Woman in a Cloak statue *Woman's shroud

References

{{Authority control Departments of the Louvre Egyptological collections in France