Author: ancientegyptblog7

Lets’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today we are going to be looking at the cartouche of the throne name of pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Amenhotep III 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓋾𓋆! Amenhotep III 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓋾𓋆 ruled during the 18th Dynasty and his rule 𓋾 was a time of prosperity for Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, especially in regards to the arts and international influence!

This piece pictured is a reconstruction of the original by the MET – the blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 pieces are original, but the gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 and plaster are not. 

Let’s take a closer look at the symbols in the cartouche: 

𓇳𓁧𓎠 – Nebmaatra (Possessor of the Truth of Ra or Possessor of the Maat of Ra) 

The “𓇳 sun disc” symbol is an ideogram for “ra” or “re,” but can also be a determinative in words such as sun, day, and time. The single symbol alone (like in cartouches) would be pronounced like “ra” or “re.”

The “𓁧 goddess with a feather” symbol is a determinative in the name of the goddess Maat, and is also an ideogram for Maat. The single symbol alone would be pronounced like “Maat.”

The “𓎠 basket” is a biliteral phonogram symbol that has the sound of “nb,” which is inferred to be pronounced like “neb.” The 𓎟 alone can also mean the word “Lord,” especially in the titles that come before a pharaoh’s cartouche. 

Now, reading three symbol cartouches can be confusing – sometimes you start with the middle symbol, sometimes you start with the last symbol. There is no way to know for sure – it comes with practice!

Fun Fact: Amenhotep III 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓋾𓋆 was the father 𓇋𓏏𓀀 of Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖!