#ashmoleanmuseum

[ashmoleanmuseum]

MUSEUM SECRETS: An Ancient Egyptian Family Feud

A mother with a grudge, a two metre long will and a bit of sibling rivalry - no, we're not talking about our latest family dramas or that new Netflix series. We're talking about Naunakhte, a woman who lived in a small village called in ancient Egypt, and the story of a family argument that still sounds familiar over three millennia later. In today's episode of our Museum Secrets, learn more about Naunakhte's will and what it reveals to us about daily life, love and family in ancient Egypt. Listen here, or wherever you find your podcasts: ashmolean.org/museum-secrets

[arthistoryfeed]

19th century Chinese Kingfisher Hair Pin of gilt filigree, with seed pearls, semi-precious stones, and kingfisher feathers. Collection of the #AshmoleanMuseum in Oxford. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3xe1wgluFo/?igshid=eak38bl6hm17

[moranferrer]

Hallo. #art #digitalart #illustration #ashmolean #ashmoleanmuseum #oxford #fantasy #urbanmagic #magiccreatures (at Ashmolean Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzZCAjGgDqK/?igshid=1um23gnpmogn9

[thelastduke]

Together, That's My Favourite Place To Be. #london #oxford #ashmoleanmuseum #travelgram #prettylittletrips #architecture #neoclassical #interiors #classic #delights #together #quotes #words #littestoriesofmylife #instapoet #poetsofinstagram #poetry #loveisallyouneed https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv1AuzYn8ZH/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=iqo0gr1tyt6q

[j-u-s-t-i-m-a-g-e-s]

Impressionist room, Ashmolean museum, Oxford

[michelangelob]

La Testa Divina. È uno dei disegni miei più conosciuti e amati. Lo realizzai su un piccolo foglietto probabilmente fra il 1525 e il 1530. . La Testa Divina appartiene alle collezioni dell'Ashmolean Museum di Oxford. . . #michelangelo #michelangelobuonarrotietornato #art #renaissance #beauty #love #art #drowing #ashmoleanmuseum #life #faces #volto #portrait #oxford #england #madeinitaly #florence #rome #bellezza (presso Ashmolean Museum)

[ashmoleanmuseum]

The Holy Month of Ramadan

The holy month of Ramadan begins this evening at sundown with the first sighting of the crescent moon 🌙

Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which are the core practices that many Muslims follow. It is a month of fasting and abstaining from things considered impure for the body and mind with the goal of allowing focus on prayer and connection with Allah. It falls in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar to commemorate the revelation of the Qur'an, the Islamic holy book, to the Prophet Muhammad.

This volume of the Qur'an from our collections was likely created in Egypt or Syria, and dates back to the 15th century. It's written with ink and gold on paper, and bound in leather with an envelope flap characteristic of Islamic codices. Reciting the Qur'an in full is considered an act of great piety for Muslims, especially during Ramadan, and dividing it into shorter volumes was intended to help with this process.

[ashmoleanmuseum]

Passover

This potsherd from 475 BC was found on the island of Elephantine, close to the border between Egypt and Nubia, which was home to a small, close-knit Jewish community at the time.⁠

It reads; “To Hoshaya. Greetings! Take care of the children until Ahutab gets there. Don’t trust anyone else with them! If the flour for your bread has been ground, make a small portion of dough to last until their mother gets there. Let me know when you will be celebrating Pascha (Passover). Tell me how the baby is doing!”⁠

Besides a wonderfully evocative peek inside a daily conversation, the sherd contains one of the earliest non-biblical references to #Passover. Passover commemorates the liberation of the ancient Israelites from Egypt and is observed annually by Jewish people all over the world. This year, Passover begins tonight and ends on Sunday 4 April.⁠

You can find out more about this sherd and many other fascinating objects relating to Judaism in our collection in 'The Jewish Journey' by Rebecca Abrams, available in our online shop -> https://www.ashmolean.org/jewish-journey