Museum Shop (The Suq)

Created for us from our own Assyrian Winged Bull.  Approx. .75"

Pewter with antique gold finish  Order#19354

Designed for us after our own Assyrian Winged Bull this lapel pin measures aprox. .75"
 
Pewter with antique gold finish.

Tie Tack post with butterfly clasp closure.  Order #199833

Created for us from our own Assyrian winged Bull. Approx. .75"

Pewter with antique gold finish, 18" Chain included. Spring Ring closure.  Oder#199834

The First Egyptian Comic Book!

Drawing on one of the earliest literary travel accounts known to man travel writer Rolf Potts and illustrtor Cedar Van Tassel recreate the comic tale of Wenamun, an ancient Egyptian priest whose overseas voyage in search of Lebanese Timber resulted in a series of fiascos.    Order # 199536  

Acclaimed chefs and cookbook authors the world over have come together to help food relief efforts to alleviate the suffering of Syrian refugees. Each has contributed a recipe to this beautifully illustrated cookbook of delicious soups from around the world. 

Contributors include: Mark Bittman, Anthony Bourdain, Alice Waters, Paula Wolfert, Yotam Ottolenghi, Claudia Roden, Greg Malouf, Ana Sortun, Sami Tamimi, Aglaia Kremezi, Carolyn Kumpe, Wendy Rahamut, Joe Barza, Sally Butcher, Troth Wells, Garrett Melkonian, Alexis Couquelet, Fernando Gomez, Jane Hughes, Nur Ilkin, Aline Kamakian, Sheilah Kaufman, and many others.

Profits from the sale of this cookbook will be donated to help fund food relief efforts to Syrian refugees.  Order # 199430

This pin, approximately 2” in diameter, reproduces in gold-plated pewter the design of an original gold roundel from the time of the Achaemenid (Persian) ruler Artaxerxes II, now in the collection of the Oriental Institute Museum.  Order # 5365

Natural Alabaster tea light, 3.25" high, carved in Egypt. 

When lit the natural striations of the stone glow.  The Egyptians made many vessels out of alabster and they also shaved it very thin to act as glass in their windows.  Order#4716

Amon-Ra was held to be the physical father of the pharaoh. He also had cosmic functions such as the creation, controlling the seasons, and protecting the weak. Mut was considered the great and mighty divine mother. The marriage of Amon and Mut was one the the great annual celebrations during the New Kingdom (1550 - 1070 B.C.)   Order # 1192

6" sculpture made in Egypt

Examine x-ray images of a real mummy! Become the archaeologist for a virtual Nubian burial site! Decode inscriptions and learn to write in ancient Middle Eastern scripts!

History and archaeology come alive when students discover the Oriental Institute Museum collections with this new educational DVD about ancient Egypt, Nubia, Mesopotamia, Israel, and Turkey. Created by the Oriental Institute's Public Education Department with support from the Polk Bros. Foundation "Ancient Artifacts of the Middle East!" features fun interactives in English and Spanish for teachers, students, and families. Included with the software are fifteen original lesson plans, games, puzzles, and classroom activities created for and by teachers that build on the interactive content of the DVD.  Order # 14204

Bast or Bastet, the cat-headed goddess, is closely associated with the the goddess Sekhmet. Bastet brings joy and familial bliss to her worshipers. Her chief center of worship was at a town in the Delta, Bubastis, whose Greek name derives from the house of Bastet. Extensive cemeteries of cat mummies have been excavated at this site.

5.5" blue resin, Made in Egypt  Order # 10767

Edited by Foy Scalf, PhD, this volume includes fourteen essays showcasing the latest research on the Book of the Dead plus Papyrus Milbank and Papyrus Ryerson as well as a complete catalog of the forty-five objects on display. This book explores what the Book of the Dead was to the ancient Egyptians, what it means to us today, what it was believed to do, how it worked, how it was made, and ultimately what happened to it.   nearly 400 illustrations  (most color)

Gold-plated pewter cylinder seal (approximately 1” long) on a 21” black cord. This piece, depicting a heroic figure contending with fantastical beasts, is a reproduction of a Mesopotamian cylinder seal from the Neo-Babylonian period (8th-7th centuries B.C.). The necklace also comes with a small piece of modeling clay so that you can make seal impressions as the ancients did.

Pyramid Dig Kit.  Gives you the tools necessary to extract the hidden treasure inside the pyramid.

Oder # 13230

This high quality mug is Made in Egypt and is comletely covered with the hieroglyphic alphabet.  You can practice your hieroglyphs with your morning coffee. Since it has gold paint, hand washing is recommended.

The ankh was the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph meaning “life,” and for that reason it was frequently used as a motif in ancient jewelery and amulets. Specially made for us our ankh, in gold vermeil, is approximately 2.25” long, suspended on a 26” black silk cord with vermeil caps at the ends.  Order# 2054

The hieroglyphs on these elegant earrings stand for “Life, Prosperity, and Health,” three blessings the ancient Egyptians always craved. These earrings specially made for us, in gold vermeil with lapis-lazuli beads, are approximately 1.25” long and 0.5” at the widest point.  Order#2059

A unique design created from various astral symbols taken from cuneiform tablets and cylinder seals in our own collection.

Made of 100% silk.  The tie is 3.75” wide.  Order#6995

Replica of a Cylinder Seal Impression

Heavy pewter replica of a cylinder seal impression that shows a typical Mesopotamian contest scene in which heroes and fantastic combined creatures wrestle with powerful wild animals.  On the left is a hero, naked except for a belt, with a beard and six locks of hair framing his face.  He grasps a rearing water buffalo by one foreleg and horn.  The figure on the right is a bull-man, with the lower body and legs of a bull and bulls’ ears and horns.  He grapples with a rearing lion which he grasps by the neck and one forepaw.

The inscription reads: “Lugal-lam, dub-sar” “Lugallam, scribe.”

1.75" x 2.75"

Akkadian Period (2330-2150 B.C.)

A3710

• Apadana at Persepolis, Iran by Joseph Lindon Smith, 1935
• Vintagers and Bird-Catchers by Nina De Garis Davies, 1932
• View of Nippur Iraq, by Peggy Sanders, 1982
• Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu, Egypt, by Uvo Hölscher, 1930
• Reconstruction of fourth-millennium temple at Choga Mish, Iran by Farzin Rezaeian, 2007
• Military officers at Persepolis, Iran by Joseph Lindon Smith 1935
• Reconstruction of Neo-Assyrian wall from Khorsabad, Iraq by Charles B. Altman, 1935
• View of Babylon, by Maurice Bardin, 1936
• 4" x 6" cards with envelopes          Order # 15343

Reproduction of a game found at Ur during joint University of Pennsylvania and British Museum expeditions led by Leonard Woolley between 1924 and 1934. The originals were made with wood frames, inlaid with lapis lazuli and shell fragments.

Our game is a reconstruction, made from a sturdy painted wooden frame. Game rules are included, based on those of the original British Museum reproduction and our own research. Order # 1106

The Senet game is played on boards simliar to those found in the tombs of Egyptian Kings such as Ramses III and Tutankhamen. The Egyptians referred to the game in hieroglyphs as one of "passages" with the movement of the pieces representing the wanderings of the soul in the underworld. The hieroglyphs on the sides of the Senet game are reproductions of hieroglyphs found on a 3,000 year-old papyrus and describe the wandering in the game. The game rules of play have been enjoyed by thousands of game enthusiasts. We believe they will give you hours of entertainment and the game will be a beautiful addition to your home.

• Includes wooden game board, playing pieces, “throw-sticks” and instructions  Oder # 1795

We will miss Martyl Langsdorf whose 1987 exhibit at the Oriental Institute was enjoyed by all.

Poster 20" x 28"   Order # 1786

By Jeffrey Abt 

"Breasted, the founder of the Oriental Institute, traveled on expeditions to remote and politically unstable corners of the Middle East, helped identify the tomb of King Tut, and was on the cover of Time magazine. But Breasted was more than an Indiana Jones—he was an accomplished scholar, entrepreneur, and talented author who brought ancient history to life not just for students but for such notables as Teddy Roosevelt and Sigmund Freud."  Paperback  Order # 15224

This volume details some of the most extraordinary artifacts ever excavated in the southern Levant that are on permanent display in the Oriental Institute Museum.  It documents the stratigraphy of Megiddo from The Early Bronze Age to the Iron I Period and presents a selection of highlights from the Institute's greater Syro-Palestine collection.

Gabrielle V. Novacek

 Oriental Institute Museum Publications 31    Order #15034

This is the first comprehensive study of birds in ancient Egyptian society, economy, art, and religion. Essays address the role of birds in the religious landscape, their use in hieroglyphic and Coptic scripts, birds as protective symbols, as decorative motifs, and as food. Plus a group of essays on “Egyptian Birds and Modern Science.”

Pp. 232; 210 illustrations (most in color)   Order # 16388

A practical step by step guide for beginners that uses genuine texts.  Includes sign lists, reference tables, vocabulary and excercises.  Used by Dr. Foy Scalf in our on line Hieroglyph Course.

Highlights of the Collections of the Oriental Institute Museum, edited by Jean M. Evans, Jack Green, and Emily Teeter.

This guide to over 100 highlights of the collections of the Oriental Institute Museum at the University of Chicago presents objects from ancient Mesopotamia, Syria-Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, Persia, Nubia, and objects from the Islamic collection. It features all new photography, provenance information, and a brief description of each object, as well as a history of the collections and a concordance.

152 pp., 140 illustrations (most color); soft cover, 6" x 10"
 

Hoch, Middle Egyptian Grammar    Oder #2011

Hoch, Middle Egyptian Grammar Sign List

This is the catalog for the Oriental Institute Museum Special Exhibit of the same name. With an introduction by Professor McGuire Gibson, this up-to-date account describes the state of the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad and chronicles the damage done to archaeological sites by illicit digging.

This companion volume and catalog to the exhibit of the same name traces the life of Meresamun whose mummy, dating to about 800 B.C., is one of the highlights of the Oriental Institute's Museum. The text introduces the historical and cultural setting of Egypt during her time. Essays and artifacts examine the role of music and of musicians in Egyptian temple cults, their training, and the types of musical instruments that Meresamun would have used. The life of Meresamun outside the temple is explored, with emphasis upon her social and legal status, what other professions were available to her, and what home life was like. The study of the life of this individual is augmented by forensic evidence obtained with the newest generation of CT scanners that sheds light on Meresamun's life and death.

This catalog for an exhibit at Chicago's Oriental Institute Museum presents the newest research on the Predynastic and Early Dynastic Periods in a lavishly illustrated format. Essays on the rise of the state, contact with the Levant and Nubia, crafts, writing, iconography, and evidence from Abydos, Tell el-Farkha, Hierakonpolis, and the Delta, were contributed by leading scholars in the field. The catalog features 129 Predynastic and Early Dynastic objects, most from the Oriental Institute's collection, that illustrate the environmental setting, Predynastic and Early Dynastic culture, religion, and the royal burials at Abydos. This volume will be a standard reference and a staple for classroom use.

Our Work: Modern Jobs – Ancient Origins is the catalog for a photo-based exhibit that reveals that many modern professions originated in the ancient Middle East. Artifacts from the Oriental Institute Museum were paired with a baker, farmer, manicurist, brewer, poet, boat builder, judge and other professionals to show the antiquity of these jobs. The portraits are accompanied by commentary on the contributions of the ancient Middle East to life today and new insights into how members of the public view their relationship to the past. This volume will be of interest to educators, historians, and those interested in fine-arts photography.

Photographs by Jason Reblando, interviews by Matthew Cunningham, edited by Jack Green and Emily Teeter

Pp. 128; 24 tintype portraits, 46 illustrations    Order # 17116

This catalogue from the special exhibit Picturing the Past presents paintings, architectural reconstructions, facsimiles, models, photographs, and computer-aided reconstructions that show how the architecture, sites, and artifacts of the ancient Middle East have been documented.  It examines how these images have shaped our perceptions, obscured our understanding and were presented in different ways to different audiences.

Edited by Jack Green, Emily Teeter, and John A. Larson

Pp. 184; 168 illustrations      Oriental Institute Museum Publications 34   Order # 15364

Reprint of the Charles Scribner's Sons 1943 Edition with New Foreword and Photographs. Published in 2009.

Pioneer to the Past tells the intensely human, often poignantly moving story of the brilliant career of James Henry Breasted, one of the greatest Egyptologists and archaeologists America has yet produced. Breasted's greatest achievement was the founding of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago in 1919, through the generous support of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The Oriental Institute embodies Breasted's vision of an inter-disciplinary research center that unites archaeology, textual studies, and art history as three complementary methodologies to provide a holistic understanding of ancient Near Eastern civilizations, and the ways that they laid the foundations for what we think of today as "Western civilization." Breasted's legacy continues to flourish today.  Order # 12276

Emily Teeter, Curator of Special Exhibits of the Oriental Institute, Retired
256 pages 101 b/w illus. 2 maps

This book is a vivid reconstruction of the practical aspects of ancient Egyptian religion: Who was allowed to enter the temples, and what rituals were preformed therein? Who served as priests? How were they organized and trained, and what did they do? What was the Egyptians' attitude toward death, and what happened at funerals? How did the living and dead communicate? In what ways could people communicate with the gods?

Autographed

By Theo van de Hoot, Professor of Hittite and Anatolian Languages at the Oriental Institute

 Autographed 

"Hittite is the earliest attested Indo_European language and was the language of a state that flourished in Asia Minor in the second millennium BC. This exciting and accessible new introductory course, which can be used in both trimester and semester systems, offers in ten lessons a comprehensive introduction to the grammar of the Hittite language with ample exercises both in transliteration and in cuneiform. It includes a separate section of paradigms, and a grammatical index as well as a list of every cuneiform sign used in the book. A full glossary can be found in the back. The book has been designed so that the cuneiform is not essential and can be left out of any course if so desired. The introduction provides the necessary cultural and historical background, with suggestions for further reading, and explains the principles of the cuneiform writing system."   Order # 15301

The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest stories in the world, is divided into three episodes with each page full of beautiful color drawings.  In this episode Gilgamesh the tyrant meets the "uncivilized" Enkidu and learns lessons of friendship and true humanity that will change him forever.  Order #2900

The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest stories in the world, is divided into three episodes with each page full of beautiful color drawings.  In this episode Gilgamesh, the mighty king of Uruk, sets out on his last quest to find the secret of immortality.  Order#2903

The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest stories in the world, is divided into three episodes with each page full of beautiful color drawings.  In this exciting episode Gilgamesh the King and his best friend Enkidu undertake heroic adventures and slay terrible monsters.  Order # 2901