Pharaoh mhd

Pharaoh

NGV International

Ground Level

14 Jun – 6 Oct 24

MELBOURNE WINTER MASTERPIECES® 2024

The NGV has partnered with the British Museum to present Pharaoh, a landmark exhibition that celebrates three thousand years of ancient Egyptian art and culture. Through more than 500 objects, including monumental sculpture, architecture, temple statuary, exquisite jewellery, papyri, coffins and a rich array of funerary objects, the exhibition unpacks the phenomenon of pharaoh, those all-powerful kings claiming a divine origin.

The exhibition comprises seven thematic sections that explore the pharaoh’s roles and duties, including as the high priest officiating in temples, the head of the country’s administration, the leader of the army and the head of the royal family. The pharaohs were responsible for protecting Egypt against its enemies and ensuring universal order; they ruled the Two Lands – Upper and Lower Egypt – from the 1st Dynasty (c. 3000 BCE) until the Roman conquest in 30 BCE.

From imagery on rings, bracelets and personal treasures, to statues and monuments of colossal scale, the pharaohs presented an idealised image of themselves as invincible warriors and fervent worshippers of the gods, who held a unique position as intermediaries between these divine beings and the rest of humanity. Nevertheless, behind these idealised representations the reality of kingship was much more complex. Not all the pharaohs were male, or even Egyptian. Despite the king’s supreme status as ruler over all, Egypt was periodically wracked by civil war, conquered by foreign powers and even ruled by competing kings. Through a carefully curated selection of exceptional objects, Pharaoh explores the realities, mythologies and iconographies of kingship in ancient Egypt.

Ancient WorldsAntiquitiesDecorative ArtsMelbourne Winter Masterpieces

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Installation images

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Virtual Tours

Key works

Head of a colossal statue, probably King Amenemhat III <br/> Egypt, Bubastis <br/> 12th Dynasty, reign of Amenemhat III, about 1854&ndash;1808 BCE <br/> granodiorite <br/> H 83cm, W 85cm, D 71cm​ <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA1063<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum <br/> Statue of the falcon god Ra-Horakhty, protector of Pharaoh Ramses II <br/> Egypt, Tell el-Maskhuta <br/> 19th Dynasty, reign of Ramses II, about 1279&ndash;1213 BCE <br/> granite <br/> H 94cm, W 39cm, D 72cm​ <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA1006<br/> ​&copy; The Trustees of the British Museum <br/> Statue of Pharaoh Ramses II as a high priest <br/> Egypt, Abydos <br/> 19th Dynasty, reign of Ramses II, about 1279&ndash;1213 BCE <br/> limestone <br/> H 171cm, W 71.5cm, D 98cm ​ <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA96<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum Eight sculptures from the Karnak Cachette<br/> Egypt, Thebes, temple of Karnak <br/> Middle Kingdom to Ptolemaic Period, about 2040&ndash;2030 BCE <br/> quartzite, granite, limestone <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA48032 to EA48039<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum <br/> Statue of the goddess Sekhmet​ standing <br/> originally Egypt, Thebes, Kom el-Hettan, mortuary temple of Pharaoh Amenhotep III <br/> 18th Dynasty, reign of Amenhotep III, about 1390&ndash;1352 BCE <br/> granodiorite <br/> H 202cm, W 45cm, D 43cm <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA45<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum Figure of the god Amun-Ra <br/> Egypt, Thebes, Karnak <br/> Third Intermediate Period, about 1069&ndash;656 BCE <br/> silver, gold <br/> H 20 cm, W 4 cm, D 9 cm​ <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA60006<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum Statue of future Pharaoh Horemheb and his wife <br/> Egypt, Saqqara, tomb of Horemheb <br/> 18th Dynasty, reigns of Tutankhamun or Ay, about 1336&ndash;1323 BCE <br/> limestone <br/> H 140 cm, W 69 cm, D 83 cm <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA36<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum Relief depicting a princess <br/> Egypt, Amarna <br/> 18th Dynasty, reign of Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten, about 1352&ndash;1336 BCE <br/> sandstone <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA63964<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum Painted relief of an unnamed woman from the tomb of nomarch Djehutyhotep <br/> Egypt, Deir el-Bersha, tomb of Djehutyhotep <br/> 12th Dynasty, reign of Senusret III, about 1874&ndash;1855 BCE <br/> painted limestone <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA1150<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum Necklaces, bracelets and girdles found on the body of an unnamed woman <br/> Egypt, Mostagedda, grave 544<br/> First Intermediate Period, about 2181&ndash;2040 BCE<br/> gold, copper, faience, silver, steatite, cornelian, electrum, limestone, shell and ostrich eggshell<br/> 24.4 x 0.2 cm <br/> 1.0 x 110.0 x 0.35 cm <br/> 78.5 x 0.5&ndash;1.1 cm <br/> 150.0 cm length <br/> 74.0 x 0.6 cm <br/> 95.0 x 0.5 cm <br/> British Museum, London<br/> EA62475, EA62474, EA62470, EA62473, EA62471 and EA62472<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum Statue of Katep and his wife Hetepheres <br/> Egypt, probably Giza <br/> 4th&ndash;5th Dynasties, about 2613&ndash;2345 BCE <br/> painted limestone <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA1181<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum <br/> Wall belonging to the funerary chapel of Urirenptah <br/> Egypt, Saqqara <br/> 5th Dynasty, about 2494&ndash;2345 BCE <br/> painted limestone <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA718<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum <br/> Coffin of the incense bearer Horaawesheb <br/> Egypt, Thebes <br/> 22nd Dynasty, about 900 BCE <br/> painted wood <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA6666<br/> ​&copy; The Trustees of the British Museum Figure of the draughtsman Nebra <br/> Egypt, Deir el-Medina <br/> 19th Dynasty, about 1295&ndash;1186 BCE <br/> painted limestone <br/> H 26.5 cm, W 7.9 cm, D 4.7 cm <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA2292<br/> ​&copy; The Trustees of the British Museum <br/> Statue of military commander Inebny <br/> Egypt, Thebes <br/> 18th Dynasty, joint reign of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III, about 1472&ndash;1458 BCE <br/> limestone <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA1131<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum Royal archives: letter from Burna-Buriash on the exchange of gifts <br/> Egypt, Amarna <br/> 18th Dynasty, reign of Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten, about 1352&ndash;1336 BCE <br/> clay <br/> British Museum, London <br/> E29786<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum Fragment of the sarcophagus lid of Pharaoh Ramses VI <br/> Egypt, Thebes, Valley of the Kings, tomb of Ramses VI <br/> 20th Dynasty, reign of Ramses VI, about 1143&ndash;1136 BCE <br/> conglomerate <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA140<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum Osiride statue of King Amenhotep I <br/> Egypt, Thebes, Deir el-Bahri <br/> 18th Dynasty, reign of Amenhotep I, about 1525&ndash;1504 BCE <br/> painted sandstone <br/> British Museum, London <br/> EA683<br/> &copy; The Trustees of the British Museum

Watch & Read

Pharaoh | Exhibition overview
Pharaoh | 3000 years
Pharaoh | Exhibition preview
A closer look: Designing the publication for Pharaoh

Publications

Pharaoh

The word ‘pharaoh’ is synonymous with ancient Egypt and its rulers who acted as intermediaries between the human and the divine. It is through this lens that Pharaoh examines more than 3000 years of ancient Egyptian art and culture, showcasing remarkable works, from monumental architecture to exquisite jewellery and haunting funerary objects.

Produced in collaboration with the British Museum, home to one of the world’s leading collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts, this in-depth publication features contributions from renowned Egyptologists and art historians from across the globe. This expert research features alongside stunning works, shedding light on the lives – and afterlives – of both pharaohs and the people who lived along the Nile valley and who comprised one of the world’s most fascinating civilisations.

Edited by Marie Vandenbeusch

Authors
Julie R. Anderson, Andrew Connor, Amanda Dunsmore,
Ikram Ghabriel, Thomas Kiely, Giuseppina Lenzo,
Margaret Maitland, Marcel Marée,
Aurélia Masson-Berghoff, Youssef Rakha, Sahar Saleem,
Chiara Salvador, Neal Spencer, Anna Stevens,
John H. Taylor, Marie Vandenbeusch.

Publisher: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
(Australia & Aotearoa/New Zealand) and the British
Museum, London
214mm x 297mm (portrait)
288 pages
Jacketed softcover
ISBN: 978-1-922398-08-6
Category: Ancient Egypt/history, antiquities
RRP: $49.95 AUD
Published: June 2024
Sold out

*Members discount available for publication purchases at the NGV Design Store and online.
Who Were the Ancient Egyptians?

Who were the ancient Egyptians? What do we know about their art, culture, beliefs and daily life?

With this book, take a journey down the Nile River to discover the pyramids, pharaohs and people of ancient Egypt, as well as the art they made to last forever. Along the way, find out about the ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses, the importance of reading and writing, and why mastering mathematics mattered. Learn how to write your name in hieroglyphs, solve ancient maths problems and bake bread using an ancient Egyptian recipe!

Suitable for children aged 5+

Publisher: National Gallery of Victoria
Pages: 96 pp
Format/dimensions: 215 x 290 mm (portrait) with 8 pp gatefold softcover
RRP: $19.95*
ISBN: 9781922398116
Category: Children’s books
Publication date: June 2024

*Members discount available for publication purchases at the NGV Design Store and online.

Media releases

6 Oct 23

6 Oct 24

15 Oct 24

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