
Sources:1. Borla, Mathilde : Les Statuettes Funéraires du Musée Égyptien de Turin In: Dossiers d'Archeologie
2003
2. KMT, vol. 14, pt. 1
3. Meskell, Lynn: Intimate archaeologies : the case of Kha and Merit. IN: World Archaeology, Vol. 29,
No. 3, Intimate relationships (Feb. 1998), p. 363-379.
4. Shaw, Ian, Nicholson, Paul: British Museum dictionary of ancient Egypt
London: British Museum Press, 1995.
5. Reeves, Nicholas: Ancient Egypt : the great discoveries : a year-by-year chronicle
London : Thames & Hudson, 2000.
6. Vassilika, Eleni: The tomb of Kha : the architect
Torino : Fondazione Museo delle Antichita Egizie, 2010.
7. Russo, Barbara: Kha (TT 8) and his colleagues : the gifts in his funerary equipment and related
artefacts from Western Thebes
London : Golden House Publications, 2012.
8 https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1107/1107.5831.pdf
9. Raffaella Bianucci, Michael E. Habicht, Stephen Buckley, Joann Fletcher, Roger Seiler, Lena M.
Öhrström, Eleni Vassilika, Thomas Böni, Frank J. Rühl. "Shedding New Light on the 18th Dynasty
Mummies of the Royal Architect Kha and His Spouse Merit", in PLOS-One, July 22, 2015
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0131916
Images of Deir el-Medina:
past & present
Gregorian Egyptian Museum, Vatican
The Gregorian Egyptian Museum, established by Pope Gregory XVI in 1839, comprises nine rooms and a large semi-circular space that opens onto the 'Niche of the Pinecone' terrace, which features various sculptures.
The rooms were originally curated by the eminent Egyptologist and disciple of Ippolito Rosellini, Barnabite Father Luigi Ungarelli, and were taken from the former apartment and retreat of Pius IV in the Palace of the Belvedere of Innocent VIII. Various architectural elements and exotic wall decorations from this initial design remain, which were intended to evoke the surroundings of the Nile.
The collection is of particular interest due to its connection with the region, which is rich in artefacts from Roman Egypt and Romanesque Rome influenced by Egypt. Many monuments from ancient Egypt were brought to Rome by emperors to adorn buildings, shrines, and villas. These include the statuary group from the Gardens of Sallust (Horti Sallustiani), which is now displayed in the hemicycle. There are also many Egyptian works produced in Rome which provide evidence of an important period in the history of pharaonic culture, as seen in items from Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli.
The final three rooms of the tour showcase artefacts from the ancient Near East, added to the collection in the 1970s.
https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/museo-gregoriano-egizio/museo-gregoriano-egizio.html
The photographs were taken by Lenka Peacock in April 2026 and are ©Musei Vaticani

Stela dedicated to the god Ptah by Nakhtemmut
Limestone
Deir el-Medina
20th dynasty (1196-1070 BC)
Inv. 22788
Dating from the New Kingdom and more specifically from the end of the 18th dynasty (c. 1,400-1,300 BC), the funerary painting is executed on a polychrome linen cloth, commonly used for mummy bandages and shrouds. It is said to have been discovered by Bernard Bruyère during his excavations at Deir el-Medina with the French Institute. It seems to have been acquired by Lucien Lépine in Qurna before 1926. In the same year, it came into the possession of Paul Mallon (1884-1975), a Parisian antiquarian.
A handwritten contemporary card with the image and details of the cloth could be viewed at https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/41227380/Documents/PIASA-18-June-15-Paul-Mallon.pdf - the link is no longer available online.
A year later, it became part of the collection of Madame Arthur Sachs. Loviton Jeanne (1903-1996) acquired it in 1939 and it has remained in the family until today.
The canvas shows the profile of a seated man looking to the right. In front of him is a pile of offerings. He wears a white, medium-length, pleated kilt and a usekh necklace around his neck. On his head is a short black curly wig topped with an ointment cone. The seat he sits on is black, with animal legs and a high curved back. He holds a piece of cloth in his right hand, while his left hand is extended towards the offerings, consisting of 3 pieces of bread, 3 pieces of vegetables and a piece of meat. In the field in front of him are two columns of hieroglyphs written in black ink. They are read from top to bottom, starting with the one on the right:
1st column: wdn xt nbt nfrt wabt = Offering everything beautiful and pure
2nd column: n kA n tA-nDm mAa xrw = for the Ka of Ta-Nedjem, true of voice
Liverpool
These mummiform shabtis wear a plain tripartite wig with a sheded headband tied at the back, which has been added in black. The headband is faint in places due to surface wear, as the yellow paint applied to the low-fired clay has worn away considerably. The arms are crossed, with the left arm over the right, above the waist, and the hands hold a pair of hoes modelled in relief and painted black. A square-hatched basket with shoulder straps is carried on the back. Some vertical inscriptions written in hieroglyphs read:“The Osiris, the wab–priest of Amun, Djedkhonsu, justified”.
The condition is poor. There is surface loss. The yellow pigment is very powdery.
BM
A painted pottery shabti of Djed-Khonsu, a priest of Amun. He has a lappet wig tied with a black fillet, a modelled face, and crossed hands in relief holding black hoes. The front of the leg section is inscribed with a column of very worn black painted hieroglyphs.
Shabtis of Djed-Khonsw, priest of Amun
Pottery
Deir el-Medina
21st dynasty (1070-945 BC)
Inv.


Anonymus coffin lid
Wood
Deir el-Medina
late 21st dynasty (970-945 BC)
Inv. 25016.2.1

