The de Young Museum, part of San Francisco’s Fine Arts Museums (FAMSF), is honored to be the first of two North American venues to host this blockbuster show. “Treasures of the Pharaohs,” the third FAMSF Egyptian event in 20 years, takes the viewer on a journey into the heart of ancient Egypt, with 130 carefully selected masterpieces that span 3,000 years of history. They include newly discovered objects of daily life and many pieces that have not been previously exhibited. Most of these exquisite relics are from the Cairo and Luxor Museums.
This fascinating exhibit is housed in a large, spacious, softly-lit space on the second floor of the de Young Museum. To organize these gorgeous but disparate pieces, the exhibit has been divided into six sections: The World of Gods and Goddesses, Religion and Beliefs, Daily Life in Ancient Egypt, The Golden City, and Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt. There is a wall chart that explains each dynastic period, from the earliest dynasties 0-2, spanning 3000-2686 BC, to the Greco-Roman period, ending in 395 AD.
In the World of Gods and Goddesses section, we learn that from 3200 BC onward, the king was viewed as the living embodiment of the god Horus. At his death, he is transformed into the Lord of the Afterlife, Osiris. I particularly liked the statue of King Ramessess VI, the coffin lid of Queen Ahhotep II, and some of the small gold jewelry pieces.
The exhibition continues by exploring the social hierarchies of the people around the pharaoh and examining the roles of individuals required to maintain Egypt’s divine kingship. These people range from royal family members and high-ranking officials to artisans and servants. Their statues are less refined but still remarkably intact. In fact, all the show’s artifacts look amazingly restored, bright, complete, and modern. There’s hardly a broken nose in the bunch.
The section on Religion and Beliefs provides insights into the spiritual connection that shaped all aspects of Egyptian life, and an exploration of daily life emphasizes the connection between life and death in Egyptian culture. On view are objects such as jewelry, cosmetics, tools, and furnishings, including the stunning black granite lid of the sarcophagus of Senqed.
The Golden City section follows, highlighting Amenhotep III’s workers’ community on Luxor’s west bank. Objects from the city, known in antiquity as the Dazzling Aten, are on view for the first time in North America. This city, the largest known from ancient Egypt, dates to the prosperous era of Amenhotep III (ca. 1390–1352 BC). It was abandoned by his son Akhenaten, who rejected Egypt’s gods in favor of the sun god Aten and moved the royal seat to Amarna. Only recently rediscovered in 2021, The Golden City’s preserved streets, houses, workshops, and offices reflect its purpose as an industrial and administrative center. Like Pompeii, the city was suddenly abandoned and frozen in time, offering unique insights into daily life in ancient Egypt. Don’t miss the detailed gilded wood chair belonging to Princess Sitamun during the reign of Amenhotep III. It was eventually discovered in a royal tomb.
The final area, Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt, concerns the Egyptians’ belief that death was not the end, but a new phase toward eternal life. Embalmers prepared the body for eternity, with mummification as the critical element of burial. And don’t miss the elaborately decorated mummy covers and coffins.
“Treasures of the Pharaohs” is filled with dazzling royal treasures of gold, granite, lapis lazuli, and other precious materials, along with objects that reveal the inner workings of this sophisticated civilization, which continues to intrigue and inspire us.
The exhibition is extremely well curated by Dr. Tarek El Awady, former director of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The FAMSF presentation is curated by Renée Dreyfus, Distinguished Curator and George and Judy Marcus Curator in Charge of Ancient Art. The exhibition is accompanied by a major scholarly catalog by Egypt’s famed archaeologist, Dr. Zahi Hawass, at FAMSF.
By Emily S. Mendel
© Emily S. Mendel 2026 All Rights Reserved
