State Museum of Egyptian Art

The Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst, or State Museum of Egyptian Art, is an archaeological museum in Munich, Germany, that houses the Bavarian state collection of ancient Egyptian art. Located in the Maxvorstadt district within the Kunstareal cultural quarter, it ranks among the most significant collections of Egyptian antiquities in Germany, alongside those in Berlin and Hildesheim. The museum presents objects spanning from predynastic Egypt through the dynastic periods and into the Coptic Christian era, with additional holdings from neighboring ancient Near Eastern cultures. After decades in the Munich Residenz, the museum moved to its current purpose-built location in June 2013.

The Bavarian state's collection of Egyptian art traces its origins to the 16th century, when Duke Albrecht V established holdings in the Royal Antiquarium in Munich. The collection was subsequently expanded by Elector Charles Theodore, who transferred works from Mannheim to the Antiquarium in 1808, and by King Ludwig I of Bavaria. In 1816, Ludwig acquired artworks in Paris that Napoleon had taken from Rome, and later purchased additional Middle and New Kingdom stelae from Captain Ferdinand Michel and the botanist Franz Wilhelm Sieber, as well as pieces from the collections of Edward Dodwell and Bernardino Drovetti. A significant acquisition was part of the jewelry treasure of Nubian Queen Amanishakheto from Giuseppe Ferlini. The Royal Bavarian Academy of Sciences contributed further objects in the 19th century, while civic patrons and institutions such as the Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft added works in the early 20th century. The Egyptian Collection of the State of Bavaria was formally established in 1966, with a partial exhibition shown that year at the Haus der Kulturinstitute. On 15 July 1970, the Staatliche Sammlung Ägyptischer Kunst opened in the Festsaalbau of the Munich Residenz, with a second tract for late-period works following on 28 June 1972. The collection was renamed Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst in 2000. From 2000 to late 2009, a branch museum operated at Schloss Seefeld near Ammersee. The museum moved to its current building on 11 June 2013. In December 2013, the Münchner Abendzeitung awarded it the Stern des Jahres in the Kunst category. Directors have included Hans Wolfgang Müller (1958-1975), Dietrich Wildung (1975-1988), Sylvia Schoske (1989-January 2021), and since 1 March 2022, Arnulf Schlüter.

The museum's holdings encompass approximately 8,000 objects, of which about 2,000 are on permanent display. The collection covers all periods of ancient Egyptian civilization from the predynastic era through the Early, Middle, and Late Kingdoms, as well as the Hellenistic, Roman, and Coptic periods. Objects include statues, sculptures, cult articles, papyri, stone tablets with hieroglyphics, glassware, jewelry, amulets, mummies, textiles, and household goods. The collection also extends beyond Egypt proper to include material from Nubia, Assyria, and Babylonia. Thematic organization within the galleries addresses subjects including the pharaoh, religion, the realm of the dead, writing and text, and craftsmanship. Multimedia cubes with touchscreen interfaces provide contextual information, and a portable multimedia guide covers approximately 200 objects.

Among the most distinguished works is the duplex statue of Pharaoh Nyuserre Ini showing him as both youth and elder, and the false door from the grave chamber of Menes. Royal sculptures include statues of Amenemhat III, Ramses II, Thutmose III, and Akhenaten, as well as sphinxes of Sesostris III and Amenhotep II. The kneeling figure of Senenmut and the sarcophagus lid of Queen Sitdjehuti are significant holdings. The glass cup inscribed with the name of Thutmose III, dating to 1450 BC, is considered the oldest glass vessel in the world. From the Persian period comes the upper part of a priest statue of circa 500 BC. The Hellenistic-Roman period is represented by the bust of a Seleucid ruler and the large Egyptian statue of Antinous. The 5.80-meter Titus Sextius Africanus obelisk in the atrium has a central section dating from 50 AD, with later additions and restorations. The jewelry treasure of Nubian Queen Amanishakheto is particularly precious. From the ancient Near East, the museum holds Assyrian orthostate reliefs from the palace of King Ashur-nasir-pal II and a glazed tile lion from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, formerly displayed in the Glyptothek. Since 1912, the museum has held the mummy of a child aged four to six years, found by Flinders Petrie near the Hawara Pyramid, which includes a Fayum mummy portrait.

The current museum building, designed by architect Peter Böhm, is located opposite the Alte Pinakothek in the Kunstareal and extends beneath the structure of the University of Television and Film Munich. The project was inspired by ancient Egyptian burial chambers. The entrance is marked by a projecting portal wall of exposed concrete that recalls the pylon gateways of Egyptian temples. The building is constructed throughout in exposed concrete and glass, with some elements in brushed aluminum. Visitors descend via a broad exterior staircase and a long ramp to the exhibition level, which for conservational reasons lies entirely underground. The 1,800 square meters of permanent exhibition space are supplemented by 400 square meters for special exhibitions. The light-filled entrance hall leads to three large halls, then into smaller, darker, and lower spaces organized thematically. An atrium brings natural light into portions of the exhibition. Outside the building stands the sculpture Present Continuous by Henk Visch.

The State Museum of Egyptian Art is located at Gabelsbergerstraße in Munich's Maxvorstadt district, within the Kunstareal cultural area. It is operated by the Free State of Bavaria. The museum has been open to the public since 11 June 2013. Since 1984, it has offered a children's education program during summer holidays, combining guided tours with hands-on craft activities; similar programs have run during other school holidays since 2007. Additional educational offerings include a Treasure Hunt and an Archaeological Backpack available at the front desk, both typically available in English. Guided tours for school groups cover topics such as ancient Egyptian culture, gods, funerary beliefs, hieroglyphs, everyday life, kingship, and animals, and are offered in English and French at a cost of 33 euros. Project hours for schools have been bookable since the 2008-2009 school year.