The Egyptian God Corpus

The Plates

Genuine period images — papyri, statues, temple photographs — gathered in one place. Every one is public domain, and every one names its source.

This is deliberately not a gallery of our own artwork. This reference draws new pictures for entries where the attested iconography supports it, and labels them plainly as new. These are the other track: things that actually survive from the ancient world, or photographs of them.

31 plates so far. The collection grows as entries are researched — an entry earns a plate when someone finds the right one and can say where it came from.

Ammit crouched beside the balance, waiting

Ammit crouched beside the balance, waiting

Ammit · Public domain

Wikimedia Commons · Photographed by the British Museum; original artist unknown

The temple complex of Amun at Karnak, photographed for the Museo Egizio

The temple complex of Amun at Karnak, photographed for the Museo Egizio

Amun · CC0

Wikimedia Commons

Ani and his wife Tutu before the gods

Ani and his wife Tutu before the gods

Anubis · Public domain · Book published 1994; facsimile created 1890; original…

Wikimedia Commons · Published by James Wasserman; facsimile made by E. A. Wallis Budge…

The Apis bull, with the sun-disk between his horns

The Apis bull, with the sun-disk between his horns

Apis · Public domain · between circa 550 and circa 450 BC

Wikimedia Commons · Anonymous (Egypt)Unknown author

Apep, the serpent that attacks the sun barque

Apep, the serpent that attacks the sun barque

Apophis · Public domain

Wikimedia Commons

A necklace carrying the head of Bes — the god worn, not enthroned

A necklace carrying the head of Bes — the god worn, not enthroned

Bes · CC0 · ca. 6th–4th century B.C

Wikimedia Commons

Geb below and Nut arched above, from the Greenfield Papyrus

Geb below and Nut arched above, from the Greenfield Papyrus

Geb · Public domain

Wikimedia Commons · Unknown authorUnknown author

A Hathoric column capital — her face carved on all four sides

A Hathoric column capital — her face carved on all four sides

Hathor · CC0 · 380–362 B.C

Wikimedia Commons

Imhotep seated with an open papyrus across his knees

Imhotep seated with an open papyrus across his knees

Imhotep · Public domain · between 664 and 332 BC

Wikimedia Commons · Anonymous (Egypt)Unknown author

Painted wooden statue of Isis, Ptolemaic period

Painted wooden statue of Isis, Ptolemaic period

Isis · CC0

Wikimedia Commons · Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China

Scarabs — the commonest surviving Egyptian object, and the beetle of becoming

Scarabs — the commonest surviving Egyptian object, and the beetle of becoming

Khepri · CC0

Wikimedia Commons · the Met

Khnum, ram-headed — the potter who shapes bodies on his wheel

Khnum, ram-headed — the potter who shapes bodies on his wheel

Khnum · Public domain · between 664 and 525 BC

Wikimedia Commons · Anonymous (Egypt)Unknown author

Khonsu standing, in the sidelock and close-fitting wrap of a divine child

Khonsu standing, in the sidelock and close-fitting wrap of a divine child

Khonsu · Public domain · between circa 664 and circa 525 BC

Wikimedia Commons · Anonymous (Egypt)Unknown author

The heart weighed against the feather of Maat

The heart weighed against the feather of Maat

Maat · Public domain · Photograph published 2001; artwork created c. 1300 BC

Wikimedia Commons · Photographed by the British Museum; original artist unknown

A mehen board — the game named for the serpent who coils round the sun

A mehen board — the game named for the serpent who coils round the sun

Mehen · CC0

Wikimedia Commons · Waltros

Neheb-kau, the serpent who binds the kas

Neheb-kau, the serpent who binds the kas

Nehebkau · Public domain · between 1070 and 730 BC

Wikimedia Commons · Anonymous (Egypt)Unknown author

Neith seated — a statuette from the Late Period

Neith seated — a statuette from the Late Period

Neith · Public domain · 711-323 B.C

Wikimedia Commons

The vulture of Nekhbet, wings spread — the sheltering posture

The vulture of Nekhbet, wings spread — the sheltering posture

Nekhbet · CC0

Wikimedia Commons · Shonagon

Faience amulet of Nephthys, crowned with the signs that spell her name

Faience amulet of Nephthys, crowned with the signs that spell her name

Nephthys · CC0 · between 722 and 332 BC

Wikimedia Commons

Nut arched over the earth, from a 1917 reproduction

Nut arched over the earth, from a 1917 reproduction

Nut · CC0 · published 1917

Wikimedia Commons · Unknown authorUnknown author

The scribe Ani presented before Osiris enthroned

The scribe Ani presented before Osiris enthroned

Osiris · Public domain · Book published 1994; facsimile created 1890; original…

Wikimedia Commons · Published by James Wasserman; facsimile made by E. A. Wallis Budge…

Ptah, mummiform, in his close-fitting cap

Ptah, mummiform, in his close-fitting cap

Ptah · CC0 · circa 1070 B.C

Wikimedia Commons

Painted tomb chamber of Sennedjem at Deir el-Medina

Painted tomb chamber of Sennedjem at Deir el-Medina

Ra · CC0 · from 1905 until 1914

Wikimedia Commons

Granodiorite statue of Sekhmet, one of the hundreds commissioned by Amenhotep III

Granodiorite statue of Sekhmet, one of the hundreds commissioned by Amenhotep III

Sekhmet · CC0 · between 1390 and 1353 BC

Wikimedia Commons

The Set animal — curved snout, squared ears, forked upright tail

The Set animal — curved snout, squared ears, forked upright tail

Set · CC0

Wikimedia Commons · PharaohCrab

A greywacke figure presenting a shrine that holds an image of Sobek — Turin, Late Period

A greywacke figure presenting a shrine that holds an image of Sobek — Turin, Late Period

Sobek · CC0 · between 722 and 332 BC

Wikimedia Commons

Taweret — hippopotamus body, lion's legs, upright and pregnant

Taweret — hippopotamus body, lion's legs, upright and pregnant

Taweret · Public domain · 4th century BC

Wikimedia Commons · Anonymous (Egypt)Unknown author

The weighing of the heart — the hall the door at its end refuses to open

The weighing of the heart — the hall the door at its end refuses to open

The Door of the Hall of Two Truths · Public domain · Photograph published 2001; artwork created c. 1300 BC

Wikimedia Commons · Photographed by the British Museum; original artist unknown

Ankh-ef-en-Sekhmet seated before a harpist — the setting the Song of the Harper was sung in

Ankh-ef-en-Sekhmet seated before a harpist — the setting the Song of the Harper was sung in

The Song of the Harper · Public domain · between circa 550 and circa 525 BC

Wikimedia Commons · Anonymous (Egypt)Unknown author

Stela of Thoth in several forms, Roman period

Stela of Thoth in several forms, Roman period

Thoth · CC0 · 1st-2nd centuries AD

Wikimedia Commons · 1st–2nd century sculptor

Wadjet standing, cobra-headed

Wadjet standing, cobra-headed

Wadjet · Public domain · between 1070 and 730 BC

Wikimedia Commons · Anonymous (Egypt)Unknown author

How these were chosen

Sourced from Wikimedia Commons by scripts/fetch-plates.py, which refuses to download anything Commons does not report as public domain. A plate whose rights are unclear is worse than no plate: this reference exists to be checkable, and that has to include its pictures.

Captions describe what the image shows. Where a plate is a modern photograph of an ancient object, the object is ancient and the photograph is the licensed work — the licence shown is the photograph's.