In Focus Tour: Egyptology at the V&A

Excavated at Naqada, Egypt, the faience sceptre is a reminder of a fascinating, but now largely unknown, part of the V&A’s history. Given to the museum in 1895, it is one of few ancient Egyptian items currently on display; today, pre-Islamic Egypt falls outside the V&A’s remit. However, this was not always so. Well into the mid-20th Century, the V&A actively collected Egyptian antiquities, supported excavations, and maintained close professional relationships with Egyptologists. This talk will consider the story of the sceptre, its history and how it came to the museum, and its place within the wider story of Egyptology and the V&A.