Egyptian Collection

Hathor depicted on red granite column capital from the Temple of Bubastis, c. 900BC

The Nicholson Museum’s collection of Egyptian artefacts is the largest and most important of its kind within Australia. The collection includes artefacts representing ancient Egyptian history from the Neolithic through to the late Roman period, with mummies, monumental sculpture, inscriptions and ancient organic materials, contributing to the unique nature of this collection.

The development of the collection began in 1856-57, when Sir Charles Nicholson travelled down the Nile acquiring artefacts of artistic and archaeological importance from dealers and at sites. Most of these objects were shipped to Sydney via England, where they were first assessed by Joseph Bonomi of the British Museum. In 1860, they were donated by Nicholson to the University’s new Museum of Antiquities.

Further artefacts were acquired by the Museum from the Egypt Exploration Fund (now Society) in London during the late 19th and early 20th century. The Fund sent many objects to the Museum in return for an annual subscription to its work – some, such as the 3.4 metric tonne Hathor capital (right), with considerably more difficulty than others. A large portion of these artefacts came directly from the excavations of the renowned Sir Flinders Petrie, the father of modern archaeology.

Today the collection includes artefacts from well known archaeological sites across Egypt including Abydos, Alexandria, Bubastis, Fayum, Heliopolis, Memphis, Saqqara, and Thebes.

Many of the artefacts from the Egyptian collection are now on display in the exhibition Egyptians, gods and mummies: Travels with Herodotus

Mummy of the boy 'Horus', Thebes, early 2nd C. AD	Blue faience tile, Thebes, 19th-20th Dynasty	Diorite bust of Horemheb, Memphis or Saqqara, 1330-1320BC
Wooden Shabti, or Canopic box, Egypt, 650-525 BC	Limestone talatat block, Memphis, Late 18th Dynasty	Mummified legs of child, Egypt, Unknown date