Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs: Audio Description Tour Stop 9 of 19

Ostracon

An ostracon is a shard of discarded pottery or a small piece of stone with writing or drawings scratched or painted onto the surface.

The example on display is a piece of creamy-white stone about the size of a large dinner plate but broken into an irregularly shaped oblong. The surface of the stone is rough and uneven and has the outline of a man drawn on it in red ink. He is drawn in profile with his back to the left side of the stone and his head and feet at the top and bottom edge. His head is the most detailed part of the sketch and is looking up and forward to the right.

The man depicted wears a wig, which were worn predominantly by the elite in Egyptian society, and a band across his forehead features a snake, which shows the man to be a Pharaoh. His eyes are outlined to represent the kohl eyeliner that was traditionally worn to make the eyes look larger and as protection to ward off evil, and around his neck he wears a close-fitting necklace.

The man’s arms are lifted to shoulder height and stretched in front of the body with both elbows flexed to 45 degrees. Although his head faces forward, the body is slightly twisted to the right so that the left arm reaches beyond the right. He stands in a typical posture with the left foot placed in front of the right to convey a sense of power and influence.

Around his waist is wrapped a short skirt or kilt fastened at the front and he is tall and slender with wide shoulders, a lean and muscular body, narrow hips and long legs. Pharaohs were represented as idealised and ultra fit young men. This ostracon would have been a trial or practice sketch made by an artist about to decorate the wall of a tomb.

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Stops in tour

Stop 1
Introduction to Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs
Welcome to this audio described tour of selected pieces from the exhibition Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs at the Australian Museum in Sydney.
Stop 2
Bow and quiver
Made to accompany the dead into the afterlife, this quiver was originally hollow and the bow was made from a composite mix of layered wood.
Stop 3
Statue of Ramses as a sphinx offering a ram-headed vessel
This sculpture of Ramses as a half-lion, half human sphinx, encapsulates his absolute power and religious devotion.
Stop 4
Temple life statues
Portraying Ramses making an offering to the gods, these two temple statues are carved out of dark grey greywacke.
Stop 5
The temples of Abu Simbel
The two temples at Abu Simbel depicted in the model are carved from imposing east-facing red sandstone cliffs.
Stop 6
Ramses holding the Heka scepter
As the only remaining part of what was originally a seated sculpture, this statue of a young Ramses depicts him holding the Heka sceptre, a symbol of his kingly power.
Stop 7
Queen Tuya
This Middle Kingdom granodiorite statue depicts Ramses' revered mother Queen Tuya.
Stop 8
Faience tiles
Large quantities of these colourful glazed tiles, made from ground quartz, were used to decorate Ramses’ palaces.
Stop 9
Ostracon
An ostracon is a shard of discarded pottery or a small piece of stone with writing or drawings scratched or painted onto the surface.
Stop 10
Sennedjem’s coffin and reconstructed tomb
This vibrantly decorated wooden outer coffin, encased within a glass cabinet, belonged to Egyptian artisan Sennedjem.
Stop 11
Falcon-headed collar and counterweight
Even in a room full of amazing gold jewellery this glorious falcon-headed collar belonging to Princess Neferuptah, stands out.
Stop 12
Daughters of Djehutihotep II
This pale, painted limestone wall fragment shows three of the daughters of the Middle Kingdom official Djehutihotep.
Stop 13
Animal mummies
The Egyptians mass-produced animal mummies and they were specifically raised to be killed and mummified and used as an offering to the gods.
Stop 14
Statue of a scarab beetle
An important symbol for the ancient Egyptians, the scarab beetle represents the repetition and creation of life.
Stop 15
Collar of Psussenes
This imposing gold, glass and stone necklace with a winged scarab as the centrepiece is made of a double strand of 40 teardrop-shaped beads.
Stop 16
Sheshonq II's silver coffin lid and four coffinettes
Belonging to Sheshonq the Second, this remarkable hawk-headed coffin is made of solid silver.
Stop 17
Merenptah’s scarcophagus lid
This red granite sarcophagus lid belonged to Ramses’ son and successor, Merenptah.
Stop 18
Ramses’ coffin
The coffin of Ramses the Great was discovered in 1881 within the Royal Cache at Deir el-Bahari and was once overlain with gilding and inlays in precious stones or glass.
Stop 19
Colossus of Ramses II
This limestone colossus depicts Ramses II standing and clasping a mekes, the cylinder used as a document case to hold papyri.

Stop 1
Introduction to Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs
Welcome to this audio described tour of selected pieces from the exhibition Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs at the Australian Museum in Sydney.
Stop 2
Bow and quiver
Made to accompany the dead into the afterlife, this quiver was originally hollow and the bow was made from a composite mix of layered wood.
Stop 3
Statue of Ramses as a sphinx offering a ram-headed vessel
This sculpture of Ramses as a half-lion, half human sphinx, encapsulates his absolute power and religious devotion.
Stop 4
Temple life statues
Portraying Ramses making an offering to the gods, these two temple statues are carved out of dark grey greywacke.
Stop 5
The temples of Abu Simbel
The two temples at Abu Simbel depicted in the model are carved from imposing east-facing red sandstone cliffs.
Stop 6
Ramses holding the Heka scepter
As the only remaining part of what was originally a seated sculpture, this statue of a young Ramses depicts him holding the Heka sceptre, a symbol of his kingly power.
Stop 7
Queen Tuya
This Middle Kingdom granodiorite statue depicts Ramses' revered mother Queen Tuya.
Stop 8
Faience tiles
Large quantities of these colourful glazed tiles, made from ground quartz, were used to decorate Ramses’ palaces.
Stop 9
Ostracon
An ostracon is a shard of discarded pottery or a small piece of stone with writing or drawings scratched or painted onto the surface.
Stop 10
Sennedjem’s coffin and reconstructed tomb
This vibrantly decorated wooden outer coffin, encased within a glass cabinet, belonged to Egyptian artisan Sennedjem.
Stop 11
Falcon-headed collar and counterweight
Even in a room full of amazing gold jewellery this glorious falcon-headed collar belonging to Princess Neferuptah, stands out.
Stop 12
Daughters of Djehutihotep II
This pale, painted limestone wall fragment shows three of the daughters of the Middle Kingdom official Djehutihotep.
Stop 13
Animal mummies
The Egyptians mass-produced animal mummies and they were specifically raised to be killed and mummified and used as an offering to the gods.
Stop 14
Statue of a scarab beetle
An important symbol for the ancient Egyptians, the scarab beetle represents the repetition and creation of life.
Stop 15
Collar of Psussenes
This imposing gold, glass and stone necklace with a winged scarab as the centrepiece is made of a double strand of 40 teardrop-shaped beads.
Stop 16
Sheshonq II's silver coffin lid and four coffinettes
Belonging to Sheshonq the Second, this remarkable hawk-headed coffin is made of solid silver.
Stop 17
Merenptah’s scarcophagus lid
This red granite sarcophagus lid belonged to Ramses’ son and successor, Merenptah.
Stop 18
Ramses’ coffin
The coffin of Ramses the Great was discovered in 1881 within the Royal Cache at Deir el-Bahari and was once overlain with gilding and inlays in precious stones or glass.
Stop 19
Colossus of Ramses II
This limestone colossus depicts Ramses II standing and clasping a mekes, the cylinder used as a document case to hold papyri.

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