4,000-year-old Wooden Ushabti Figurine Returning to Egypt – Wood you believe it?

Egypt rejoices as yet another ancient Egyptian artefact is set on coming back home. According to Shaaban Abdel Gawad, Director of Repatriated Antiquities Department at the Ministry of Antiquities , a wooden Middle Kingdom ushabti figurine which measures 16.5 cm in height, has been handed to the Egyptian embassy in London. 

The object had been originally found by the Spanish mission working in Qubbet el-Hawa tombs 33 and 34 in Aswan from 2009 until 2013 when the object was stolen and smuggled to the United Kingdom.

It had been found by a British Museum's curator in possession of a Briton according to a statement by the director of the Repatriated Antiquities Department of the Antiquities Ministry, Shaaban Abdel Gawad.

The figurine, although small, is incredibly well carved in terms of facial features and still retains its gilded inscriptions.

By Sara Ahmed

#Egypt #Egyptology #Aswan #RepatriatedAntiquities

Photo courtesy of MoA

Osiris statues unearthed in Karnak temple

The French mission working in Karnak temples has unearthed 3 statues and a broken statue base as well as a container holds blue glue which is probably dated to the Late Period (664 BC:332 BC).

The Statues were discovered in Karnak temple, two bronze statues of Osiris. One statue measures 36cm height and 7cm width and shows Osiris sitting while wearing the white crown. 

The other statue measure 15cm height and 3cm width and represents Osiris while standing. 

The third statue is probably made of Schist and shows a goddess sitting and wearing the double crown with a wig underneath. It measures 16cm height and 7.5cm width and bears hieroglyphics inscriptions which are being cleaned to be able to define the name of the goddess. 

#Egypt #Luxor #Osiris #Ushabti #History #AncientEgypt #Discovery

26th dynasty statue back in the Egyptian Museum

Ministry of Antiquities will receive tomorrow the upper part of the green faience statue of a nobleman from the 26th Dynasty.

The upper part of the statue was stolen from the Egyptian museum in Tahrir in January 2011 but was never reported stolen then as the lower part was still at the museum.

It wasn't till a Belgian citizen asked a French archaeologist to value the statue after check authenticity. 

The French archaeologist whom had studied the statue in 1989 so he contacted MSA and the ministry took the legal procedures in cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs to return the statue.

According to Ali Ahmed, Director of retrieved antiquities department, the 29cm length ushabti figure was found in Memphis in 1858. 

The statue owner held noble titles including the north deals bearer.