Rooms E-H contain objects dating from the Middle Empire (12–14th Dynasties; about B.C. 2000–1680) and the era of the Hyksos (Syrian conquerors; 15th and 16th Dynasties; about 1680–1580). In Room F: 194 (in the middle). Wooden statue of the tutelary genius (Ka) of king Hor; 199. Limestone statue of king Amenemhêt III.—Room G: 206 (in the middle). Sacrificial chamber of Harhotep, with drawings of the furniture of the deceased; 207. Ten colossal statues of Sesostris I. in limestone.—Room H: 260. Tombstone of Prince Mentuhotep.
Rooms I-P and the large Atrium Central, or covered court, are set apart for monuments of the New Empire (17–20th Dynasties; about B.C. 1580–1090). Room I: 300 (on the right). Triumphal monument of Thutmosis III. (1501–1447); 338, 339. The goddess Hathor, as a cow, in the ancient chapel (naos); *291. Head of king Haremheb (?), in black granite; 312. Bust of the goddess Mut (?); 327. Statue of the aged Amenhotep; *334. Statue of Thutmosis II., in slate; 341. Statue of Isis, mother of Thutmosis III.—Room J: 316. Statue of the god Khons.—Room L (beyond the N. gallery): 364. Sacred barge in red granite.—Portique du Nord (beyond the covered court): 398. Memorial stones of kings Amenophis III. (‘Memnon’; 1411–1375) and Merenptab (p. [457]).—Room M: 378. The famous tablet of Sakkâra (p. [464]), with its list of kings; 390. Statue of the god Ptah.—Rooms N and O: Chiefly objects of the Ramesside period (19–20th Dynasties). Room N: 616. Granite head of Ramses II. (about 1292–1225), best known of all the Egyptian kings for his immense building enterprise.
Rooms Q-S: Foreign (B.C. 1090–663) and Late Egyptian (663–332) Dynasties. Room Q: 1016. Statue of the goddess Toëris in the form of a hippopotamus, an admirable work in green stone (26th Dynasty; 663–525); 667. ‘Pithom Stele’ or memorial stone of Ptolemy Philadelphus, from Pithom.—Room S: Ethiopian period (25th Dynasty; 712–663); 685. Alabaster statue of queen Amenertaïs.
Rooms T, V, and X: Ptolemaic (B.C. 332–47; comp. p. [433]), Roman (B.C. 47–395 A.D.), and Coptic monuments. Room T: 719. Marble bust of a Gaul, a Greek original from Thasos; 728. The famous trilingual Decree of Canopus (B.C. 238), in sacred (hieroglyphic), popular (demotic), and Greek characters.—Room V: Coptic objects.—Room X (Case A): 688. Bust of prince Mentemhēt, and 689. Bust of king Taharka (688–663; the Tirhakah of the Bible), both with negro features.
The Upper Floor contains the smaller antiquities, the objects found in the royal tombs of Thebes in Upper Egypt, and the mummies.
We begin with the Great Gallery, where the coffins and mummies of priests of Ammon are exhibited.
In the Salon Méridional, adjoining the central court, and (to the right) in Rooms A and B, are vessels, implements, toilet requisites, musical instruments, lamps, candlesticks, candelabra etc.; in Case G of the South Hall is the *Wooden war-chariot of Thutmosis IV. (1420–1411), with beautiful reliefs. Also in Room A (later to be reserved solely for Coptic objects), Coptic utensils.—Rooms C-F: Burial equipments, including figures of the dead, amulets, jars for the entrails of the deceased (so-called Canopi).
Rooms G-I: MSS. on papyrus or linen; wooden tablets, potsherds (ostraca), and slabs of limestone, used as cheap substitutes for papyrus.—Rooms J-L: Furniture and utensils.
Rooms M, N, and Gallery O (to the N.): Chiefly Greek and Roman antiquities and foreign objects. In glass-cases C and D of Room N are (Nos. 433, 434) the famous clay tablets from Tell el-Amarna in Central Egypt, with cuneiform inscriptions, being letters from Babylonian kings and the Hittite kings of Arsapi to Amenophis III. (see above).
The Salon Septentrionale, adjoining Gallery O, contains statues of gods and requisites for their cult. Case B: 886. Hair-pin in the form of a papyrus stem (Middle Empire); 888. Small bowl in the form of a dog holding a fish in its mouth; without number, Head of a woman with a wig; *891. Funerary statuette of the vizier Ptahmosē.—We now cross Gallery O to—