Beeld van Ptah en andere Egyptische afgodsbeelden in het Boulaq Museum in Caïro, Egypte before 1871

This photograph by Hippolyte Délié captures a display of Egyptian deity statues within the Boulaq Museum in Cairo. The photograph allows us to consider not only the religious and artistic practices of Ancient Egypt, but also the collecting practices of 19th century Europeans, their understanding of ancient cultures, and the then-emerging institutions of museums. Egypt, at this time, was of great interest to European colonial powers, and archaeological discoveries were being used to justify political and economic control. In this context, the image suggests a particular way of seeing and ordering the past. Rather than seeing it as a living culture, it is presented as a collection of artifacts to be categorized and displayed, divorced from their original social and religious contexts. By examining archival materials, colonial records, and museum publications, we can understand the complex history behind the acquisition and display of these objects and question how museums shape our understanding of different cultures.