The Institute has recently acquired from the income of the Dunwoody Fund the Drexel Egyptian Collection of about 550 pieces. This collection, which has been on exhibition for many years at the Drexel institute in Philadelphia, was formed for Mr. Anthony J. Drexel, Jr. by Brugsch Pasha when that distinguished Egyptologist was curator of the Cairo museum. The collection was presented by Mr. Drexel to the Drexel Institute. As this collection is unrelated to the rest of the material in the collections of the Drexel Institute, the Trustees were recently authorized by Mr. Drexel to dispose of it.The packing and shipping of the collection will take considerable time and it will probably not be until next fall that the collection can be installed in our Institute and open to the public. In the meantime, a brief account of the material in the collection may be of general interest.Among the objects which will probably be of greatest interest to the public are a group of mummies and coffins dating from the Eighteenth Dynasty through the Ptolemaic period. Five stelae are valuable examples of relief sculpture. An excellent group of sixty-five scarabs illustrates the principal types. In connection with these may be mentioned a number of examples of jewelry and ornaments in gold and faience. To this group belongs seventy-eight small amulets. Twenty-five bronze statuettes of gods, together with seventy-seven small faience figures in particular are notable for their artistic value. Two bronze buckets ornamented with sculpture in relief are extremely important examples. Of the familiar "answerers" or ushabtis in blue faience or polychrome, the collection includes between sixty or seventy examples. A notable piece of sculpture is the Nineteenth Dynasty statuette in wood from Meir. A terracotta canopic head is another fine example. Of alabaster cups and kohl pots there is a representative group of thirty-eight pieces, to which may be added ten other examples in stone or faience. A collection of about one hundred pieces illustrates the principle types of pottery in Egypt. A funerary papyrus in the collection is a rather rare piece. The collection includes several groups illustrating the activities of daily life, examples of furniture and costume and utensils. The collection will form an excellent nucleus to which can be added from time to time fine individual examples of Egyptian art. View Text Item