Bust of a Naophorous Statue

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

When complete, this kneeling statue of an elite man held a shrine, whose upper edge can still be seen across the chest. The man’s broad face, pleated-sleeved garment, and hairstyle—showing echeloned side panels and partially covered ears—date this statue to the Ramesside Period.　 Naophoroi—statues that show their patron presenting the image of a deity within a naos (Greek for ‘shrine’) –like this one were found in tomb and mainly temple contexts. First appearing in the Eighteenth Dynasty, they are understood to express their owner’s devotion as well as mutually beneficial protection between the dedicant and the deity. This shrine probably housed an image of the god Osiris, whom the inscription on the back pillar names.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.

Metropolitan Museum of Art