● On view now — Gallery 50
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026
FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG
For millennia the Nile River has connected people living in the towns and cities along its banks. Ancient Egyptians used boats, barges, and other watercraft as their main forms of transportation to conduct commerce, state business, and religious pilgrimages. Skilled sailors, like the 15 men represented here, rowed north with the river’s current or sailed south with the prevailing winds. This model boat was placed in a tomb chamber to ensure that the deceased would be able to travel for eternity.
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Moche — Vessel in the Form of a Fisherman in a Reed Boat
Lobi — Female Figure (Bateba Phuwe)
Veracruz, Classic — Figure Carried in a Litter
Nasca — Female Figurine
Paracas — Vessel with Abstract Feline Mask and Bird-Head Spo
Ancient Greek — Pyxis (Container for Personal Objects)
Nasca — Vancejo bowl
Nasca — Vessel in the Form of the Head and Torso of a Figure
Colima — Standing Male Figure Holding a Plate
Burma (Myanmar) — Crowned and Bejewelled Buddha
China — Standing Attendant (Tomb Figurine)
Nasca — Bowl Depicting Costumed Ritual Peformers in Horizont