Queen Nefertari’s Egypt

Nefertari, whose name means “the most beautiful of them all,” was one of the most celebrated queens of ancient Egypt and the beloved royal wife of the great pharaoh Ramesses II.

“Queen Nefertari’s Egypt” celebrates the wives of pharaohs during the New Kingdom period (1550–1070 BC) when Egyptian civilization was at its height. These women—not just great royal wives, but also sisters, daughters and mothers of pharaohs, and sometimes even pharaohs themselves—are brought to life through some 230 exceptional objects, including majestic statues, exquisite jewelry, decorated vases, papyrus manuscripts, carved steles, mummies, intricately painted wooden coffins and splendid stone sarcophagi, as well as tools and various items of daily life from the artisan village of Deir el-Medina, home to the craftsmen who made the royal tombs.

Image: Nefertari Goddess Sekhmet courtesy Kimbell Art Museum