I spent an afternoon wandering through the new Treasures of the Pharaohs exhibition at the de Young Museum. It is easy to be dazzled by the vast history and sheer scale of ancient Egypt. This exhibit focuses on the special artifacts that were left behind and what those artifacts tell us about how the ancient society was structured. For me, there were three distinct layers of the exhibit that stood out.

One of the most striking pieces in the exhibit is the kneeling statue of Queen Hatshepsut, the longest reigning female pharaoh, showing how the ruler upheld the dress and regalia of the male king to legitimize her political authority and uphold religious tradition. She wears a ceremonial false beard and the royal cobra on her head.

Other royal women and queens are featured through jewelry, funerary art, and intimate objects. Visitors can view the Necklace of Golden Flies and the gilded coffin lid of Queen Ahhotep. In ancient Egypt, golden flies were the highest military honor and a reward for relentless persistence in battle. Ahhotep received them for her role in expelling foreign invaders.

The exhibit presents many pieces of gold jewelry, beads, and inlaid stone items, including stunning scarab adornments. One particular chest pendant served as a protective amulet to accompany high-status individuals into the afterlife.

The Pectoral of King Amenemope is one of the masterpieces from the exhibit. It displays the carved lapis lazuli scarab as a symbol of rebirth and self-creation. The scarab pushing a golden sun upward represents Khepri, the god of the rising sun, bringing light out of darkness.

There are many more beautiful gold adornments and scarab pieces to be seen in the exhibit.

Toward the middle of the exhibit, you see tiny terracotta open-face molds used as tools to press out amulets and beads. Pressing paste into thumb-sized impressions to make everyday items was the daily work of artisans. The mold on the left shows the god Bes, a favorite protective household god in ancient Egypt. He guarded against evil spirits, snakes, nightmares, and specifically protected mothers and children during childbirth. A mold for the Eye of Horus, the ultimate symbol of healing, protection, and good health, lies on the right.

While solid gold pieces were reserved for kings, these tiny molds allowed artisans to produce thousands of protective charms for common people in everyday households across Egypt.

The Treasures of the Pharaohs exhibit runs through January 31, 2027 at the de Young Museum. Whether you go for the royal gold or the human history, it’s an intriguing look at the craftsmanship that built ancient Egypt.