Ancient Egypt gallery

The Ancient Egypt gallery is one of the most-loved galleries in the Museum. It was originally established in 1939 and has changed very little since, evoking an overwhelming sense of nostalgia in our visitors.

The Ancient Egypt gallery gives an insight into the religion, burial practices and everyday life of Ancient Egypt.

The original sarcophagus and mummy of Renpit-Nefert have been part of the Museum’s collection for over 100 years. They were acquired from Egypt by Reverend Roby Fletcher who was commissioned in 1890 to “inquire… as to the best means of procuring objects of archaeological interest, illustrative of ancient Egyptian or Babylonian civilization”. While in Cairo he purchased the mummy of Renpit-Nefert and her coffin.

Her name which means ‘beautiful year’ suggests that Renpit-Nefert’s parents were very pleased with the birth of their daughter.

The items in the Ancient Egypt Gallery form part of our Foreign Ethnology Collection which holds more than 22,000 items from the Pacific, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.

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Up next:

Australian Aboriginal cultures gallery