Ancient Papyri

This plate reproduces a segment of the Book of the Dead, an ancient Egyptian funerary text intended to guide the deceased through the underworld. The upper register depicts a series of protective deities, including the jackal-headed Anubis and the falcon-headed Horus, seated in judgment or witness. Below, meticulously rendered hieroglyphic columns contain spells and incantations essential for the soul's journey to the afterlife.

This illustration depicts the critical 'Weighing of the Heart' ceremony, where the deceased's heart is balanced against the feather of truth. It captures the divine intervention of Anubis and Thoth, who oversee the judgment to determine the soul's worthiness for the afterlife.

This scene depicts the god Osiris, ruler of the underworld, seated upon his throne within a sacred shrine. He holds the crook and flail, symbols of his divine authority and role as the judge of the deceased in the afterlife.

This central scene depicts the critical moment of judgment in the afterlife, where the heart of the deceased, Ani, is weighed against the feather of Maat, representing truth and cosmic order. Presided over by the jackal-headed god Anubis and recorded by the ibis-headed scribe Thoth, the outcome determines the soul's fate, with the monstrous Ammit waiting to devour those found unworthy.

This vignette illustrates the solar deity in the form of a hawk, flanked by the goddesses Isis and Nephthys who stand beside the Tet of Osiris. The scene captures the profound religious symbolism of the Egyptian afterlife, emphasizing themes of sovereignty and divine protection.

This plate from a 19th-century facsimile of the Papyrus of Ani illustrates the deceased's perilous journey through the gates and pylons of the underworld. The upper register depicts the Second, Third, and Fourth Ārit, each guarded by a triad of deities, while the lower register shows the Third through Sixth Pylons and their monstrous guardians. These intricate vignettes, accompanied by hieroglyphic spells from Chapters 146 and 147 of the Book of the Dead, served as a guidebook for the soul to successfully navigate the trials of the afterlife.

This plate illustrates a marble relief of Nikè, the personification of Victory, which once adorned an archway near the Balat Kapoussi in Constantinople. The figure is shown in motion, wearing a flowing chiton and holding a palm branch, characteristic of the transition from classical Greek forms to the more stylized art of the early Byzantine period. Such architectural fragments provide vital evidence for the monumental decoration of the city's ancient gates and public spaces.

This woodcut, titled 'Triumphus Theodosii' (The Triumph of Theodosius), depicts a grand Roman military procession passing through a monumental arch. Based on an earlier work from Banduri's 'Imperium Orientale', the scene illustrates the pageantry of the Byzantine empire, featuring rows of armed soldiers and a central equestrian figure. It serves as a vital visual record of how 19th-century scholars reconstructed the imperial ceremonies of Constantinople.