The Barque of Amun Arriving at the West Bank of Thebes

The Barque of Amun Arriving at the West Bank of Thebes

Charles K. Wilkinson

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

During the Beautiful Festival of the Valley, statues of the deities Amun, Mut, and Khonsu left Karnak temple to journey across the Nile and visit other temples. The procession also passed many private tombs, where people gathered for elaborate banquets. At the top here, the boat of Amun with ram’s heads at each end carries a shrine that houses the deity’s statue. Though the statue of Amun was not visible, the mere sight of his golden shrine, which was usually in the restricted areas of the temple, must have been a spectacular event for the elated throng of followers. The ship has just moored and is greeted by a statue of the deified king Amenhotep I, which will join the procession. Below a bark with a statue of the deified queen Ahmose Nefertari is being dragged on a sledge.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Barque of Amun Arriving at the West Bank of ThebesThe Barque of Amun Arriving at the West Bank of ThebesThe Barque of Amun Arriving at the West Bank of ThebesThe Barque of Amun Arriving at the West Bank of ThebesThe Barque of Amun Arriving at the West Bank of Thebes

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.