Cover A colossal statue of Tutankhamun at the ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums’ exhibition in November (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
A colossal statue of Tutankhamun at the ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums’ exhibition in November (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
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Hong Kong Palace Museum’s blockbuster show on the treasures of ancient Egypt will open in November. Here’s what you can already expect to see.
The Hong Kong Palace Museum’s blockbuster exhibition, Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums, is set to run from November 20, 2025 to August 31, 2026. This monumental show will bring a staggering 250 exhibits from ancient Egypt to the city. All artefacts will be displayed in Hong Kong for the first time—many of which are also exhibited outside Egypt for the first time—marking the exceptional rarity of the occasion.
These relics, dating back to about 7,300 to 2,000 years ago, are borrowed from seven major museums in Egypt, including the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Luxor Museum of Ancient Egyptian Art, the Suez National Museum and the Sohag National Museum.
As well as renowned Egyptian treasures from Cairo, such as the statues of Tutankhamun and Anubis, the show also presents recent archaeological discoveries from the Saqqara, an area in the south of the capital known for being the ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty.
The exhibition will be divided into four main sections: “The Land of the Pharaohs”, which explores ancient Egyptian kingship, religious belief and daily life during the era of the pharaohs; “The World of Tutankhamun” and “The Secrets of Saqqara”, which delve into the earth-shattering archaeological discoveries in modern Egyptian archaeology; and “Ancient Egypt and the World”, which examines the dynamic exchanges and parallels between ancient Egypt and other civilisations.
Here are seven highlights from the exhibition not to be missed.
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A colossal statue of Tutankhamun
Above A colossal statue of Tutankhamun from the 18th Dynasty (1550-1295 BC) (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
A colossal statue of Tutankhamun from the 18th Dynasty (1550-1295 BC) (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
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Towering over 2.8m, this stone statue depicts boy pharaoh Tutankhamun. Ascending at age nine, he boldly reversed his father Akhenaten’s monotheistic reforms, restoring polytheistic beliefs.
His sudden death at age 18 led to his erasure from official records, leaving him forgotten until his 1922 tomb discovery. This astonishing find transformed the long-lost pharaoh into ancient Egypt’s most renowned ruler.
A seated statue of Anubis
Above A seated statue of Anubis from the Late Period (664-332 BC) (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
A seated statue of Anubis from the Late Period (664-332 BC) (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
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Anubis was a prominent early funerary deity in ancient Egypt, overseeing mummification and the ‘Opening of the Mouth’ ritual, which was designed to restore the senses and abilities of the deceased in the afterlife. He typically appeared as a jackal or fox. Ancient Egyptians viewed these desert-roaming scavengers as guardians of the dead, leading to Anubis’s association with protection and guidance in the afterlife.
A statue of Bastet holding a sistrum
Above A statue of Bastet holding a sistrum from the Late Period (664-332 BC) (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
A statue of Bastet holding a sistrum from the Late Period (664-332 BC) (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
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The goddess Bastet, often depicted with a cat’s head or as a cat, was worshipped since the Early Dynastic Period (3100 BC). Initially a fierce war goddess, she later merged with Sekhmet (a goddess associated with healing and destruction). Her image evolved into a gentle domestic cat by the Middle and New Kingdoms (2050-1070BC), representing motherhood, family, protection, music, dance and beauty, symbolising a shift towards guardianship.
A cat mummy
Above A cat mummy from the Late Period (664-332 BC) (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
A cat mummy from the Late Period (664-332 BC) (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
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Cats held a revered place in ancient Egyptian society as hunting companions and cherished pets and were worshipped as embodiments of the goddess Bastet. These sacred animals were extensively bred, mummified and offered to Bastet for blessings. The Saqqara Necropolis, a major centre for feline worship, contains hundreds of thousands of mummified felines, evidencing this devotion.
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A statue of a hippopotamus
Above A statue of a hippopotamus from the Second Intermediate Period (1650-1550 BC) (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
A statue of a hippopotamus from the Second Intermediate Period (1650-1550 BC) (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
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The hippopotamus held dual symbolism in ancient Egypt: chaos and destruction, yet also fertility and rebirth. Hippo statues were placed in tombs to assist the deceased towards eternal life. This particular statue features a precious turquoise blue faience glaze, mirroring the Nile. Its back is adorned with symbols linked to the vital river.
A colossal statue of Akhenaten
Above A colossal statue of Akhenaten from the 18th Dynasty (1550-1295 BC) (Photo: courtesy of the Hong Kong Palace Museum)
A colossal statue of Akhenaten from the 18th Dynasty (1550-1295 BC) (Photo: courtesy of the Hong Kong Palace Museum)
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Pharaoh Akhenaten stands as ancient Egypt’s most unconventional leader, renowned for revolutionary monotheistic religious reforms focused on the sun deity Aten. His reign dramatically transformed artistic styles. After his death, monuments were dismantled and his name erased from records, leading to obscurity until hieroglyphs were deciphered in the 1820s. His colossal statue’s striking features deviate from the traditional pharaoh ideal.
A seated statue of a scribe
Above A seated statue of a scribe from the 5th Dynasty (2494-2345 BC) (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
A seated statue of a scribe from the 5th Dynasty (2494-2345 BC) (Photo: courtesy of The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)
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In ancient Egypt, scribes formed a literate minority, likely under one per cent of the Old Kingdom (c 2700-2200 BC)’s population. Mastering arithmetic, geometry and religious knowledge, they served the state at all bureaucratic levels. Their crucial tasks included drafting legal documents, archiving correspondence, copying religious texts and recording royal achievements, making them indispensable to society.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
