On my last trip to New York, I spent hours (and hours and hours) at The Met walking around in awe at all the incredible artifacts that seemed to appear at every turn. The only place I've seen anything comparable is at the Louvre or the British Museum. One thing I found different from both of these museums, however, was the unique and fascinating pieces that were in The Met's Egyptian exhibits.
Don't get me wrong, the Louvre and the British Museum have incredible collections, but they are largely big pieces displayed for maximum impact, and seeing painted details, jewellery, adornments, or intricate sculptures is rare. These stunning, smaller detailed pieces are what The Met seemed to have in droves.
I snapped some shots of some of the pieces that I found the most fascinating — things that I had never seen anywhere else — and thought I'd share them with you!
I know that this isn't the greatest photo (shooting through glass is never a great option), but there was something about the expression of this sculpture that caught my eye and I couldn't look away.
This is a face fragment that was part of a full body statue of King Senwosret III who reigned for a period during 1878-1840 BC. The expression is softer than you normally see in sculptures of Egyptian Kings, but the two grooves in the middle of his forehead still evoke a concentration and seriousness. The sculptor did an incredible job of creating the illusion of flesh out of stone.
I was SO excited when I came across this wig covered in solid gold tubular ornaments. Though this wig is a modern version of a wig that was found on a mummy (the real artifact is way too delicate to display), the ornaments are authentic and date to some time between 1887-1813 BC.
I had never seen anything like this before other than in movies or painted scenes and it was fascinating to see this type of hair decoration up-close and in-person.
The collection of jewellery at The Met was unlike anything I have seen anywhere else, and I wanted ALL OF IT. There's something about the colour combinations and use of stone that I love (I'm sure it also has something to do with the fact that every piece is giant).
The piece on the left reminded me of something that I would see at a modern-day High Street shop, which I found really interesting. On the right are gold sandals, toe covers, and finger covers, which are also pieces that I have never seen displayed before.
Again, not the greatest photo, but there was something about those lips, those sassy, sassy lips, that I just couldn't walk away from.
I love this shot because in the background you see jewellery and incredible blue masks, and to top it all off, this sassy statue of a nude Egyptian woman was absolutely stunning and just full of so much personality!
Planning Your Visit
Location: The main branch of The Met in New York City — The Met Fifth Avenue — is located on (you guessed it) Fifth Avenue. It backs onto Central Park and covers more than 2 million square feet!
Opening Hours: Open seven days a week. Sunday to Thursday: 10 am to 5:30 pm, Friday and Saturday: 10 am to 9 pm.
Admission: (note, that this admission policy is fairly new) Admission is free or "pay as you wish" for New York State residents. For all other visitors: $25 for adults, $17 for seniors, and $12 for students. Admission for all children under 12 and Members and Patrons is free.
Note that any full-priced admission ticket is valid for three consecutive days at The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters.
