Ancient Egyptian

Model of a River Boat

Middle Kingdom, mid-Dynasty 12, about 1875 BCE
Wood and pigment
114.3 × 17.1 cm (45 × 6.7 in)

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● On view now — Gallery 50

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026

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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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