Kings ruled Egypt in North Africa for more than 3000 years. From the mid sixteenth century BCE, they called themselves per-aa: ‘pharaoh’. Behind an apparent unity, many changes – economic, technological, artistic and political – transformed the country. Royal power was sometimes even assumed by foreigners from nearby kingdoms. Above all, the inherent flexibility of the Egyptian monarchy allowed it to persist for millennia. During this time, thousands of temples and tombs were erected. From the most exquisite jewellery to monumental sculpture, all these pieces assert the power and the divinity of the pharaohs.

Through the creation of complex myths, thousands of gods populated the lives of the ancient Egyptians. All natural entities could be divine manifestations: the land, the wind and animals all embodied a sacred force. Although human, pharaohs claimed divine ancestry. They acted as the gods’ representatives on earth and as intermediaries between gods and humans.

The pharaoh’s main role was to maintain the wellbeing of the gods. The gods provided stability and prosperity for Egypt in return for the pharaohs’ acts of building temples and performing daily rituals, a relationship that benefitted both. The king’s position on the throne was secured and the gods were made content in the land of the pharaohs.

With their imposing architecture, Egyptian temples stood out dramatically in the ancient landscape. They represented the cosmos and were a portal to the divine. Hundreds of temples were built along the Nile Valley, each dedicated to one or more of the vast pantheon of deities. Ancient Egyptians believed that temples were the houses of the gods and the divine statues they contained were embodiments of the gods on earth.

Just like living beings, these statues required care and attention. It was the king’s responsibility to perform the most important religious ceremonies such as the daily ritual of offering to, clothing and feeding the gods. In reality, priests across the country performed these rituals on his behalf. If the gods were pleased, they would reward Egypt with stability and the pharaoh with a long and prosperous reign.

Egyptian royal families could be very large as the pharaoh could take a principal queen, known as the Great Royal Wife, and several wives. Diplomatic alliances were often formed or strengthened through marriage with daughters of foreign rulers. Numerous children were born from these unions. Ramses II, for example, is believed to have fathered more than forty sons and forty daughters. Many family members, starting with princes, held leading roles in the religious and administrative running of the country. They could influence governmental policies, lead armies or manage estates. Although some members of the extended royal family are known by name, mostly little else is known about them.

Ancient Egyptian men, women and children wore rings, necklaces and amulets, often as markers of power and status or as protection from evil spirits. Shape, composition and manufacture varied. Solid gold pieces were fit for kings or the royal entourage, while those with more modest budgets wore jewellery made from faience (a type of glazed ceramic), stone and bone. The pieces of jewellery shown here were deeply personal objects and held complex layers of meaning. Although the most intimate stories relating to these objects often remain concealed from modern understanding, they still provide a glimpse into the lives of the people who wore them.

The pharaoh ruled over a complex administrative system designed to maintain religious, economic and political control over Egypt. One of the main functions of the state was to collect and administer resources to be used for the building of monuments, instigated by the pharaoh. In addition to ensuring a healthy economy, the state dispensed justice and protected the land from internal and external aggressors. The king surrounded himself with family members and a wide range of non-royal officials to help run the country.

With its strategic location between the rest of Africa and Asia, Egypt was part of a complex world of trade and exchange and attracted many foreigners who travelled and settled along the Nile. Defending Egypt was a central duty of the pharaoh. While some kings sought imperialist expansion through military action, others pursued diplomatic alliances with their neighbours through the exchange of gifts. Political marriages were another important aspect of managing foreign relations. Despite these efforts, Egypt frequently suffered periods of civil war and the Nubians, Persians, Libyans, Greeks and Romans all ruled the country at different times.

Pharaohs prepared for the afterlife by having their bodies preserved through mummification. It was also important to ensure that the correct rituals were performed after their death and that their tombs were filled with protective texts and a range of objects to assist them in the afterlife. When a king died, he was believed to journey to the underworld, where he would be assimilated with the god Osiris, lord of the dead and ruler of the underworld. It was also believed that accompanying the sun-god, Ra – often regarded as the creator of the universe – on his cyclical journey could ensure eternal life for the pharaoh. The deceased king hoped to board the sun god’s barque (sacred boat) to share his journey across the sky and be rejuvenated with the sunrise each day.