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Today, the Kimbell Art Museum announced that it will be one of only two North American venues for the landmark exhibition Treasures of the Pharaohs. Through 130 carefully selected artifacts from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the Luxor Museum, Treasures of the Pharaohs offers rare insights into the daily life, social structures, religious practices, and legacies of the Egyptian pharaohs. Three thousand years of ancient Egyptian history are presented through an array of dazzling royal treasures expertly crafted from gold, granite, lapis lazuli, and other precious materials, along with objects that reveal the inner workings of this sophisticated civilization that continues to intrigue, influence, and inspire the modern world. 

Treasures of the Pharaohs will be on view at the Kimbell from March 14 through September 19, 2027, in the museum’s Renzo Piano Pavilion. 

“Treasures of the Pharaohs will awe,” said Eric M. Lee, the museum’s director. “From the scale and splendor of some of the artifacts on view to the revelations about day-to-day life and inclusion of objects from one of the most recently excavated sites in Egypt, visitors will find this exhibition brilliant, both visually and intellectually.” 

Painted limestone of a scene portraying Akhenaten and His Family Worshipping the God Aten.

Akhenaten and His Family Worshipping the God Aten, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep IV / Akhenaten (c. 1353–1336 BC). Painted limestone, 20 1/2 x 18 7/8 in. (52 x 48 cm). Royal tomb, Tell el-Amarna. Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Photograph by Massimo Listri

The exhibition paints an unparalleled picture of the lives of the pharaohs, from the grandeur surrounding their kingship, deity worship, and elaborate preparations for the afterlife, to the strict hierarchies and day-to-day routines of the people around them—a highly organized bureaucracy critical to maintaining Egypt’s divine kingship. Key aspects of ancient Egyptian civilization are explored through six thematic sections: The Treasures of the Pharaohs; People Around the Pharaohs; Religion and Beliefs: The World of Gods and Goddesses; Daily Life in Ancient Egypt; The Golden City; and Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt.

Objects that proclaim the pharaohs’ power and status range from monumental granite statues to elegantly designed gold jewelry and richly decorated furnishings. In contrast to royal art, newly discovered artifacts from King Amenhotep’s workers’ community within the “Golden City” in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings will be introduced to North America for the first time, providing a glimpse into the lives of those often overlooked in presentations of ancient Egyptian art history. Statues representing various deities, carved and painted stone funerary stele, and lavishly decorated sarcophagi and other exquisite tomb furnishings convey the religious beliefs that shaped the Egyptian understanding of the world and the afterlife.

Ancient Egyptian pendant featuring a large blue beatle motif and two figures on either side of it.

Pectoral Pendant of Amenemope, Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21 (c. 1069–945 BC). Gold, lapis lazuli, feldspar, and glass, 3 3/4 x 4 5/8 in. (9.6 x 11.6 cm). Tomb of Amenemope, Tanis. Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Photograph by Massimo Listri

Highlights include works directly associated with pharaohs and their families, dating from Dynasty I (c. 3100 BC) to the Ptolemaic period (321 BC). Among them are some made in precious metal: the golden sarcophagus of Queen Ahhotep, the gold funerary mask of Amenemope, the golden sarcophagus of Thuya, the gold funerary covering of Pharaoh Psusennes I, the gold collar of Psusennes I, the painted and gilded wooden Canopic Box of Yuya with Sloping Lid on a Sled, and the gilded wooden chair of Princess Sitamun. Sculptures in stone are also represented, including the carved schist Menkaure Triad and the limestone relief of Akhenaten and His Family. A rare manuscript, the Hieroglyphic Funerary Papyrus of the Songstress of Amoun Djedkhonsuiusankh, is also featured. 

Ancient Egyptian wooden chair with a gold design on the back inside of the chair.

Armchair of Princess Sitamun, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep III (c. 1386–1349 BC). Gilded wood and reed, 30 1/4 x 20 1/2 x 21 1/4 in. (77 x 52 x 54 cm). Royal tomb, Tell el-Amarna. Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Photograph by Massimo Listri

Painted limestone sculpture of an ancient Egyptian figure, who is seated.

Inty-Shedu, Overseer of the Boat of the Goddess Neith, Old Kingdom, late Dynasty 4 or early Dynasty 5 (c. 2613–2345 BC). Painted limestone, 29 1/2 x 10 1/4 x 10 5/8 in. (75 x 26 x 27 cm). Upper cemetery of the Pyramid Builders Necropolis, southeast of the Sphinx, Giza, Cairo. Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Photograph by Massimo Listri

Treasures of the Pharaohs is currently on view at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome, where it is on track to become one of the most highly attended exhibitions in the museum’s history.  After its close in Rome on June 14, 2026, the exhibition will be on view at the de Young museum in San Francisco from August 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027, prior to its presentation in Fort Worth.

The exhibition curator is Dr. Tarek el-Awady, former director of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The exhibition is accompanied by a major scholarly catalogue by Egyptian archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass. The exhibition's presentation at the Kimbell is organized by Jennifer Casler Price, senior curator of Asian, African, and ancient American art.

“These remarkable works offer a broad perspective on the lives of the pharaohs and those who served them,” said Casler Price. “From stunning treasures that convey the power and awe of divine kings, to the humble yet fascinating objects of everyday life, this exhibition illuminates the glory and wonder of ancient Egyptian civilization.” 

Detail view of an ancient Egyptian golden sarcophagus of the pharaoh, Thuya. The object is all gold, with eyes and eyebrows rimmed in a cobalt blue.

Outer Anthropoid Coffin of Thuya, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep III (c. 1386–1349 BC). Wood covered with gilded stucco with inlays of blue glass, obsidian (eyes), light blue, dark blue, and red glass, 86 x 26 1/2 x 37 in. (218.5 x 67.5 x 94 cm). Tomb of Yuya and Thuya (KV 46), Valley of the Kings. Luxor Museum. Photograph by Massimo Listri

EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION 

The exhibition is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Kimbell Art Museum, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), in collaboration with ALES SpA, the in-house company of the Italian Ministry of Culture, and MondoMostre.

SUPPORT 

Promotional support for the Kimbell Art Museum and its exhibitions is provided by American Airlines, NBC 5, and Fort Worth Report. Additional support is provided by Arts Fort Worth and the Texas Commission on the Arts.