Photo Gallery

This relief depicting a cargo boat with a distinctive amphora on board comes from the Mastaba of Idut (also known as the Tomb of Princess Idut) in Saqqara. The entrance area and the adjoining chambers of this tomb are world-famous for their dense, vivid depictions of life on the Nile. Directly at eye level, the reliefs there depict papyrus boats and wooden ships engaged in fishing and the transport of trade goods. The reliefs are among the best-preserved examples of Old Kingdom relief art. Many of the scenes still bear traces of their original colored paint. – 1984