Exhibitions


Hall of Ancient Egypt

The long-term partnership between the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art (FGA) and the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) was established in 2021. An initial selection of fifteen masterpieces from the FGA are presented in the permanent hall of Egyptian art of the HMNS. Their unveiling is scheduled to coincide with the opening of the exhibition Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs. The bust of Ramses loaned by the FGA serves as a practical link between the permanent displays and the temporary exhibition, which showcases artefacts exclusively selected from Egyptian institutions.

The artworks loaned by the FGA cover a chronological era that spans form the Old Kingdom to the Late Period (2nd half IIIrd millennium BC – 1st half Ist millennium BC). However, the selected artefacts predominantly date to the New Kingdom, one of the golden ages of the Egyptian civilization. Eight pieces produced during the 18th and 19th dynasties are shown, most of them for the first time in the USA. Half are contemporaneous with the reign of Ramses II, including the bust of the great king which is a flagship masterpiece from the collection. A calcite jar, beautifully decorated with the names of the king, is also displayed, as well as a funerary figurine of one of his sons, the prince Khaemwaset.

Among the other artworks on loan are three reliefs showing offering bearers. Despite their similarities, they date from different periods, the oldest having been carved in the Old Kingdom, under the 5th-6th dynasty, the second one in the New Kingdom, under the 18th-19th dynasty, and the most recent one in the Late Period, under the 26th dynasty. Together, these three artefacts bear testimony to the longevity of this ancient civilisation and to the permanence of its art.

© Fondation Gandur pour l'Art, Genève

Works on loan

NA
Statuette stéléphore de Mâhou
3e quart IIe millénaire avant J.-C.
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Vase à têtes de bouquetins
4e quart IIe millénaire avant J.-C.
NA
Buste de Ramsès II
2e moitié IIe millénaire avant J-C.
NA
Relief montrant une procession funéraire
3e quart IIe millénaire avant J.-C.
NA
Statuette d'homme marchant
4e quart IIIe millénaire avant J.-C. - 1er quart I
NA
Stèle fausse-porte de la prêtresse Hénout
2e moitié IIIe millénaire avant J.-C.
NA
Relief représentant six porteurs de récipients
2e quart Ier millénaire avant J.-C.
NA
Jarre aux cartouches de Ramsès II et décor floral polychrome
4e quart IIe millénaire avant J.-C.
NA
Statuette répresentant deux époux
1e moitié IIe millénaire avant J.-C.
NA
Relief de Khâemouaset: procession géographique
4e quart IIe millénaire avant J.-C.
NA
Fragment de relief montrant trois hommes en procession
4e quart IIIe millénaire avant J.-C.
NA
Figurine funéraire de Khâemouaset
4e quart IIe millénaire avant J.-C.
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Table d'offrandes
1er quart IIe millénaire avant J.-C.
NA
Vase en forme de femme tenant un enfant
3e quart IIe millénaire avant J.-C.
NA
Bas-relief représentant une procession de porteurs d'offrandes
2e moitié IIIe millénaire avant J.-C.