The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has one of the most important collections of ancient Egyptian art in the world. Much of the collection was obtained from excavations conducted by Dr. George A. Reisner, from 1905 to 1942, on behalf of the museum and Harvard University. Many exceptional works of art came to Boston through formal agreements with the Egyptian government.
According to the religion of the ancient Egyptians it was important that they be buried with the correct rituals together with food supplies and other basic necessities. These other “necessities” were part of the reason that the graves were later looted. In addition, these goods provide archaeologists with some insights into the daily lives of Egyptians, particularly high status Egyptians. Shown below are photographs of the some of the grave goods in the museum’s Egyptian collection.