Pharaoh: art and power in ancient Egypt

Explores the ideals, symbolism and ideology of Egyptian kingship and uncovers the stories behind the objects and images left as a legacy by this ancient civilisation. The rulers of ancient Egypt were not always male, nor always Egyptian. At times, Egypt was divided by civil war, conquered by foreign powers or ruled by competing kings. While some kings were revered - such as Thutmose III who expanded Egypt''s empire to its largest extent - the memory of others was officially erased. Many of the objects surviving from ancient Egypt project the image the pharaoh wanted us to see - however this book explores the reality and the many challenges of ruling one of the greatest civilisations the world has ever seen. After an introduction into the historic and geographic timeframe of the ancient Pharaohs, the book explores royal iconography, decoding the insignia worn and held by the king, or the names and titles covering most royal monuments. The core of the book investigates the main roles of the king, as high priest, as the head of the royal family, as the administrative ruler of the country and as the leader of the army and diplomat. Following an investigation into the preparation for the king''s eternal life, from the rituals to the building of a tomb, the book closes on a contemporary perspective from Egypt and how the notion of the Pharaoh still resonates today. The book covers 3,000 years of history - highlighting research on key pieces from the British Museum''s outstanding collection of Egyptian antiquities.

Auteur

Lead author and editor
Marie Vandenbeusch is Curator, Funerary Culture of the Nile Valley at the British Museum.

Contributors
Julie R. Anderson, British Museum
Andrew Connor, Centre for Ancient Cultures, Monash University
Amanda Dunsmore, National Gallery of Victoria
Ikram Ghabriel, Independent Researcher, London
Thomas Kiely, British Museum
Giuseppina Lenzo, University of Lausanne
Margaret Maitland, National Museums Scotland
Marcel Marée, British Museum
Youssef Rakha, novelist, poet and essayist, Cairo Sahar Saleem, Cairo University
Chiara Salvador, University Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3
Neal Spencer, Fitzwilliam Museum
Anna Stevens, Centre for Ancient Cultures, Monash University
John H. Taylor, previously British Museum

Résumé
'A comprehensive but accessible introduction for anyone interested in the history of ancient Egypt, and offers a showcase of highlights from the British Museum's world-class collection.' The Past

Explores the ideals, symbolism and ideology of Egyptian kingship and uncovers the stories behind the objects and images left as a legacy by this ancient civilisation.

The rulers of ancient Egypt were not always male, nor always Egyptian. At times, Egypt was divided by civil war, conquered by foreign powers or ruled by competing kings. While some kings were revered such as Thutmose III who expanded Egypt's empire to its largest extent the memory of others was officially erased. Many of the objects surviving from ancient Egypt project the image the pharaoh wanted us to see however this book explores the reality and the many challenges of ruling one of the greatest civilisations the world has ever seen.

After an introduction into the historic and geographic timeframe of the ancient Pharaohs, the book explores royal iconography, decoding the insignia worn and held by the king, or the names and titles covering most royal monuments. The core of the book investigates the main roles of the king, as high priest, as the head of the royal family, as the administrative ruler of the country and as the leader of the army and diplomat. Following an investigation into the preparation for the king's eternal life, from the rituals to the building of a tomb, the book closes on a contemporary perspective from Egypt and how the notion of the Pharaoh still resonates today.

The book covers 3,000 years of history highlighting research on key pieces from the British Museum's outstanding collection of Egyptian antiquities.