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Reading Hieroglyphs

“A Voice Offering” Hieroglyphic Symbol

Let’s read some hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! Today π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³ we are going to be looking at the word/phrase “A Voice Offering β€œπ“‰“.”

A Voice Offering
The composite hieroglyph symbol for “A Voice Offering” painted on a Middle Kingdom sarcophagus at the MET.

𓉓 is classified as a composite hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ. A composite hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ is a single hieroglyphic symbol that is actually a combination of multiple symbols! The individual symbols do not lose their phonetic meaning when they become the composite hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ, instead they combine to just make a multi-consonant symbol! Composite hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ can be phonograms, ideograms, or determinatives too!Β 

While a lot of the composite hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ are combinations of two 𓏻 symbols, β€œπ“‰“β€ is actually a combination of four 𓏽 symbols! I like to think of composite hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ as a math equation: 

𓉓 = 𓉐 + π“Š€ + 𓏑 + π“Š

Here is the modern name, (and sound value in parentheses) designated to each of the symbols that are part of 𓉓:

𓉐 – House Plan (pr) 

π“Š€ – Oar (αΈ«rw)

𓏑 – Bread (t)

π“Š – Beer Jug (usually a determinative like in this case, but can be hnw on occasion) 

𓉓 would be pronounced like β€œprt-αΈ«rw.” 

A Voice Offering
Another example of the phrase “A Voice Offering” from a Middle Kingdom sarcophagus on display at the MET.

In terms of meaning, β€œπ“‰“β€ is classified as an ideogram (a single symbol that takes on the meaning of a full word) for the phrase β€œinvocation offering” or β€œvoice offering” and is a part of the standard offering formula that is seen on stelae π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έπ“ͺ, false doors, sarcophagi π“ŽŸπ“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“π“Š­π“ͺ/coffins π“‹΄π“…±π“Ž›π“π“†±π“¦ and other funerary equipment π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‹΄π“π“π“Š­.Β 

You can read my full translation for the sarcophagus pictured above here. You can also watch the video of the translation here!

Why are bread 𓏑 and beer π“Š highlighted in such a popular inscription that persisted for thousands of years? Bread 𓏑 and beer π“Š were pretty much the staples of the ancient Egyptian diet and they needed enough food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔π“₯ in the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 too! 

𓉓 Is definitely a great symbol to recognize because it is very common and part of a very common inscription. The pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 in this post are both from Middle Kingdom sarcophagi π“ŽŸπ“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“π“Š­π“ͺ at the MET. 

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Reading Hieroglyphs Video

Hieroglyphic Vocabulary – Week 4

Let’s read some Hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! Here is Week 4 of my Hieroglyphic Vocabulary Word of the Day stories from Instagram all compiled into a video! This week we focused on some of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 whose names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ you will commonly see in inscriptions π“Ÿπ“›π“₯!Β 

Hieroglyphic Vocabulary Week 4 Video on YouTube!

Here are the names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ we learned this week: 

  1. Maatkare 𓇳𓁦𓂓 (Hatshepsut Throne Name)
  2. Hatshepsut (Foremost of the Noble Women) π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ŽΉπ“π“„‚π“π“€Όπ“ͺ (Birth Name)
  3. Menkhepperra 𓇳𓏠𓆣 (Thutmosis III Throne Name)
  4. Rameses II π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– (Throne Name)
  5. Rameses II π“©π“›π“ˆ˜π“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ (Birth Name)
  6. Amenhotep III π“‡³π“§π“Ž  (Throne Name)
  7. Akhenaten π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ– (Birth Name Variant)

Learning any language – including hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ/Middle Egyptian doesn’t have to be difficult! Learning how to read the names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 in their cartouches π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“·π“¦ is a great place to start because not only do their names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ appear frequently, but it’s a great way to practice the meaning of the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!Β 

You can also watch the video on TikTok!

@ancientegyptblog

Let’s read some Hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! Here is Week 4 of my Hieroglyphic Word of the Day stories all compiled into a video! This week we focused on some of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 whose names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ you will commonly see in inscriptions π“Ÿπ“›π“₯! Here are the names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ we learned this week: 1. Maatkare 𓇳𓁦𓂓 (Hatshepsut Throne Name) 2. Hatshepsut (Foremost of the Noble Women) π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ŽΉπ“π“„‚π“π“€Όπ“ͺ (Birth Name) 3. Menkhepperra 𓇳𓏠𓆣 (Thutmosis III Throne Name) 4. Rameses II π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– (Throne Name) 5. Rameses II π“©π“›π“ˆ˜π“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ (Birth Name) 6. Amenhotep III π“‡³π“§π“Ž  (Throne Name) 7. Akhenaten π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ– (Birth Name Variant) Learning any language – including hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ/Middle Egyptian doesn’t have to be difficult! Learning how to read the names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 in their cartouches π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“·π“¦ is a great place to start because not only do their names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ appear frequently, but it’s a great way to practice the meaning of the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! This is my personal photographs/video and original text. DO NOT repost. #ancientegypt #egyptianhistory #egyptologist #letsreadsomehieroglyphs #hieroglyphs #hieroglyphics #languagelearning #egypt #pharaoh

♬ Star Wars (Epic Main Theme) – Samuel Kim

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Video

Cow, Beautiful Woman, or Both? – Video

Did you know that the word for β€œcow 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒” and β€œbeautiful woman 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓁐” are the same in hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ/the Middle Egyptian language? Well now you do! This is one of my absolute favorite β€œfun facts” about hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ and it has been since I was a little girl!

Cow and Beautiful Woman hieroglyphs video on YouTube!

The root of both of these words is β€œπ“„€π“†‘π“‚‹β€ which would probably be pronounced like β€œnefer.” This word could mean perfect, beautiful, or good in Middle Egyptian! Adding the β€œπ“β€ to the end of the word makes it feminine, and then the determinative symbol distinguishes the meaning! So β€œπ“„€π“†‘π“‚‹π“β€ could also mean a beautiful woman or beautiful/perfect! 

Both β€œcow 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒” and β€œbeautiful woman 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓁐” would have probably been pronounced like β€œneferet” due to the addition of the uniliteral phonogram of β€œπ“β€ which would have been pronounced like a β€œt.” In order to make words pronounceable in modern times, a lot of Egyptologists/linguists will add a soft β€œe” sound in between the consonants!Β Β 

I love learning little things like this about the culture of ancient Egypt! It’s incredible what a language can tell us!

You can also watch the video on TikTok!

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Did you know that the word for β€œcow 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒” and β€œbeautiful woman 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓁐” are the same in hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ/the Middle Egyptian language? Well now you do! This is one of my absolute favorite β€œfun facts” about hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ and it has been since I was a little girl! The root of both of these words is β€œπ“„€π“†‘π“‚‹β€ which would probably be pronounced like β€œnefer.” This word could mean perfect, beautiful, or good in Middle Egyptian! Adding the β€œπ“β€ to the end of the word makes it feminine, and then the determinative symbol distinguishes the meaning! So β€œπ“„€π“†‘π“‚‹π“β€ could also mean a beautiful woman or beautiful/perfect! Both β€œcow 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒” and β€œbeautiful woman 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓁐” would have probably been pronounced like β€œneferet” due to the addition of the uniliteral phonogram of β€œπ“β€ which would have been pronounced like a β€œt.” In order to make words pronounceable in modern times, a lot of Egyptologists/linguists will add a soft β€œe” sound in between the consonants! This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost. #ancientegypt #egyptianhistory #egyptologist #letsreadsomehieroglyphs #hieroglyphs #hieroglyphics #languagelearning #egypt #hathor #metropolitanmuseumofart #historytok

♬ original sound – ancientegyptblog Nicole Lesar

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Reading Hieroglyphs

Ramessu Mery Amun

Let’s read some Hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

Today π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³ we are going to look at one of the many cartouches π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“·π“¦ of Rameses II π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ–! This time, we are going to look at his birth name cartouche π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“·, which is the name π“‚‹π“ˆ– that he was given when he was born!Β 

Ramessu Mery Amun
The birth name cartouche of pharaoh Rameses II, Ramessu Mery Amun, on a column at the British museum

The name π“‚‹π“ˆ– β€œRamessu Mery Amun π“©π“›π“ˆ˜π“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“β€ translates to β€œRa has fashioned him, beloved of Amun.” The name π“‚‹π“ˆ– could also be translated as β€œRa Bore Him, Beloved of Amun.” 

Let’s look at the name π“‚‹π“ˆ– more closely! The names of the gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ are written first due to honorific transposition!

𓁩 – Amun

𓁛 – Ra

π“ˆ˜ – Beloved

π“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ – Bore Him/Fashioned Him/Born Of

Let’s break down each of the symbols: 

The β€œfalcon with the sun disc 𓁛” symbol is both a determinative and ideogram for β€œRa.” 

The β€œAmun figure 𓁩” symbol is both a determinative and ideogram for β€œAmun.” 

The β€œcanal π“ˆ˜β€ symbol is a biliteral phonogram for the sound β€œmr” and can also be β€œshorthand” for the word β€œmery” which means beloved. 

The β€œthree fox skins π“„Ÿβ€ symbol is a biliteral phonogram for the sounds β€œms.” 

The β€œfolded cloth 𓋴” symbol is a uniliteral phonogram for the sound β€œs.”

The β€œsedge 𓇓” symbol can be a biliteral phonogram, ideogram (for sedge) and determinative (for king), but here it is representing the sound β€œsw.”

Ramessu Mery Amun
The birth name cartouche of pharaoh Rameses II, Ramessu Mery Amun, on a column at the British museum

Rameses II’s birth name cartouche has many variants and can also be written like this: π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“‡³π“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“. Certain symbols can be substituted for each other because π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ– and 𓁩 both mean Amun π“œ and 𓇳𓏺 both mean Ra. 

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Reading Hieroglyphs

Usermaatre Setep En Ra

Let’s read some Hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! 

Today π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³ we are going to look at one of the many cartouches π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“·π“¦ of Rameses II π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ–! This cartouche is his throne name cartouche, which is the name π“‚‹π“ˆ– Rameses II π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– took when he became the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–!Β 

Usermaatre Setep En Ra
The throne name cartouche of Rameses II which reads Usermaatre Setep En Ra on display at the British Museum

The name π“‚‹π“ˆ– β€œUsermaatre setep en Ra π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ–β€ translates to β€œThe Justice of Ra is powerful, Chosen of Ra.” Let’s look at the name π“‚‹π“ˆ– more closely:

𓇳 – Ra

π“„Š – Powerful

𓁧 – Justice (Maat)

𓇳 – Ra

π“‰π“ˆ– – Chosen

Usermaatre Setep En Ra
The throne name cartouche of Rameses II which reads Usermaatre Setep En Ra on display at the British Museum

Let’s break down each of the symbols:Β 

The β€œπ“‡³ sun disc” symbol is an ideogram for β€œra” or β€œre,” 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 β€œra” or β€œre.”

The β€œhead and neck of jackal π“„Šβ€ symbol is a triliteral phonogram for the sounds β€œwsr” which means β€œpowerful” or β€œstrong.” 

The β€œgoddess with a feather 𓁧” symbol is a determinative for β€œMaat” and is also an ideogram for the same. The word β€œMaat” can refer to the goddess or the word β€œJustice.” 

The β€œadze and block of wood 𓍉” symbol is a triliteral phonogram for the sound β€œstp.”

The β€œripple of water π“ˆ–β€ is a uniliteral phonogram. The β€œπ“ˆ–β€ is associated with the sound of β€œn!” 

This cartouche is part of the King’s List, which is on display at the British Museum.

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Reading Hieroglyphs

Funerary Vessel Painted to Imitate Stone

Let’s read some Hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

Today π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³ we are going to look at a really cool vase π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹π“‹ that is on display at the Brooklyn Museum! The museum has named this piece β€œInscribed Funerary Vessel Painted to Imitate Stone” and I just love that because it is such a great description of the piece! 

I believe that the rock π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™ that this vase π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹π“‹ is supposed to be imitating breccia, which is a sedimentary rock π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™ commonly found in Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– and was primarily used for pottery and stoneware during the early dynastic period and Old Kingdom! 

We know that this piece is a funerary vase because of the inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ that is on it! Starting an inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ with β€œRevered before *name of god*” is a very common way to begin funerary inscriptions π“Ÿπ“›π“₯!Β 

Funerary Vessel Painted to Imitate Stone
Inscribed Funerary Vessel Painted to Imitate Stone on display at the Brooklyn Museum

Let’s take a closer look: 

π“„ͺπ“π“‡Œ – Revered 

𓐍𓂋 – Before

π“Ήπ“Š©π“€­ – Osiris

π“ƒ‚π“ˆ– – Wab Priest (can also be written as π“ƒ‚π“ˆ— or 𓃂) 

π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ– – Amun

All together, the inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ reads β€œRevered Before Osiris, the Wab Priest of Amun…” – then I can’t see the rest of it! 

In ancient Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–, the Wab Priest π“ƒ‚π“ˆ– was the most common type of priest and they performed the tasks of maintaining the temples π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰π“ͺ and could be placed in charge of funerals. This was considered to be the lowest class of priests. The Middle Egyptian word, β€œGod’s Servant π“ŠΉπ“›β€ usually referred to the High Priests. 

This piece is dated to the late 18th – early 19th dynasties! 

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Reading Hieroglyphs

“Revered One” In Hieroglyphs

Let’s read some Hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

Today π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³ we are going to look at a word that appears in most funerary inscriptions! This word/phrase is “Revered One π“‡‹π“Œ΄π“„ͺ𓐍” and it has many different variations!Β 

Revered One
One of the variants for “Revered One” in hieroglyphs.

β€œThe Revered One π“‡‹π“Œ΄π“„ͺ𓐍” appears on funerary equipment π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‹΄π“π“π“Š­ (coffins π“‹΄π“…±π“Ž›π“π“†±π“¦, False Doors, Canopic Jar Cases, etc.)! This word can be tricky though because there are a lot of different variants of it – meaning that it can be spelled differently depending on how the word is used or the amount of space available on the object. 

Here are some of the variants for β€œThe Revered One”/β€œRevered” that can appear in hieroglyphic inscriptions:Β 

π“‡‹π“Œ΄π“„ͺ𓐍 (this is the one pictured)

π“‡‹π“Œ΄π“„ͺ

π“‡‹π“Œ΄π“„ͺπ“…±

π“‡‹π“Œ΄π“„ͺ𓐍𓅱

𓐍π“„ͺπ“…±

π“‡‹π“Œ΄π“„ͺπ“π“‡Œ

𓇋π“„ͺ𓐍𓅱

π“‡‹π“Œ΄π“„ͺ𓐍𓅱 (Revered Man – Dead)

π“„ͺπ“π“‡Œπ“ (Revered Woman – Dead)

I’m sure I did not list all of the variants either! Word variants can be confusing for people who are just starting to read hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ and that’s okay! It will just take some practice, and the best way to practice is to just keep reading real Egyptian inscriptions π“Ÿπ“›π“₯! 

Next time you go to a museum, see if you can find a variant for β€œRevered” or “Revered One” in hieroglyphs! I’m sure you will!!Β 

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Reading Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphic Vocabulary – Week 3

Let’s read some Hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

Here is Week 3 of my Hieroglyphic Word of the Day stories all compiled into a video! Learning any language – including hieroglyphs/Middle Egyptian doesn’t have to be difficult!

Here are the words we learned this week: 

  1. Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯, π“Š¨π“π“†‡
  2. Tomb π“‡‹π“‡©π“Šƒπ“‰
  3. Hathor 𓉑, π“‰žπ“·π“‚‹π“₯
  4. Amun-Ra π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“‡³π“Ί, π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“‡³, π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“…†π“‡³π“…†
  5. King of Upper and Lower Egypt π“†₯
  6. Lord of Appearances π“ŽŸπ“ˆπ“₯
  7. For the Soul of π“ˆ–π“‚“π“ˆ–

Let me know if there are any words you wanna see! 

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Reading Hieroglyphs

False Door of Neferiu

Let’s read some Hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! This False Door belonged to the Royal Sealer 𓅓𓂋𓋩𓏏 Neferiu π“„€π“‚»π“…± (8th-11th Dynasty).

False Door of Neferiu
False Door of Neferiu on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

These two pieces of text basically say what a great person Neferiu π“„€π“‚»π“…± was and it also lists all of the wonderful things he did in his life! 

I did not write out all of the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ this time because it was too long! Please enjoy the translation though!Β 

False Door of Neferiu
A closeup image of the top section of the False Door of Neferiu

This is the top line of text: 

π“‡“π“π“Š΅π“™π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­π“ŽŸπ“Š½π“‚§π“…±π“Š–π“‰“π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“π“„ͺπ“…±π“„€π“‚»π“…± – β€œAn offering the King gives Osiris, Lord of Djedu, a voice offering before and to the revered Neferiu.”

This is the second line of text: 

π“‡“π“π“Š΅π“™π“ƒ£π“Άπ“Ίπ“ˆ‹π“†‘π“Άπ“…±π“π“π“‰“π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“„€π“‚»π“…± – β€œAn offering the king gives Anubis, Upon His Mountain, in the mummy wrappings, a voice offering before and to Neferiu.” 

False Door of Neferiu
A closeup of the bottom portion of the False Door of Neferiu

Inscription on the left side: β€œI gave bread 𓏏𓏐 to the hungry π“Ž›π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“…©π“€ and clothes π“Ž›π“ƒ€π“‹΄π“…±π“‹³π“¦ to the π“ˆ– naked π“„Ώπ“Ž›π“‡Œπ“‹³π“€. I drove the boatless in my boat. I gave property to someone I knew as well as to the one I did not. The seal-bearer 𓋨𓅱 of the King of Lower Egypt 𓆀, the sole companion, the revered π“„ͺ𓐍 Neferiu π“„€π“‚»π“…±.” 

Inscription on the right side: β€œO the living π“‡‹π“€žπ“‹Ή, those who are upon the Earth 𓇾, who love life π“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“, I gave assistance to those in the year π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“†³π“π“€ of hardship. I acted mightily with my strong arm in order to endure among my children. It is Iqer who did it that I might become greater than the great π“…©π“‚‹ ones and the noblemen…of my entire town, who bore witness to me.”  

On the bottom, next to Neferiu π“„€π“‚»π“…± and his wife π“ˆŸπ“ on both sides the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ say: 

π“ˆŸπ“π“ŒΈπ“‚‹π“π“†‘π“Œ‰π“ƒ€π“†“π“ or β€œHis 𓆑 beloved π“ŒΈπ“‚‹ wife π“ˆŸπ“ Wedjbet π“ˆŸπ“.”

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Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Bronze Statue of Ptah

This bronze π“ˆ”π“€π“ˆ’π“¦ statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 of the god π“ŠΉ Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± from the Third Intermediate Period is striking to see in person not just because of its wonderful state of preservation, but its size as well!

Bronze Statue of Ptah
Bronze Statue of Ptah on display at the MET

For a bronze π“ˆ”π“€π“ˆ’π“¦ statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾, it is quite large! In antiquity, this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 would have been covered in gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰ leaf, and it’s amazing that you can still see some of the gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰ on the statue! Imagine how magnificent it would have looked in all gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰! I also love how the eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦 are still perfectly preserved; they really stand out among the bronze π“ˆ”π“€π“ˆ’π“¦ and the gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰!Β 

The staff that Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± is holding in his hands is actually a merging of the Djed Pillar π“Š½ and the Was Scepter π“Œ€. The hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ for Djed π“Š½ means β€œstability” while the hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ for the Was Scepter π“Œ€ means β€œstrength,” and this staff exemplifies Ptah’s π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± representation of both! 

One of the epithets that follows Ptah’s π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± name π“‚‹π“ˆ– in inscriptions is β€œThe One of Fair Face 𓄀𓁷𓏀𓀭” and I think that description totally fits with how beautiful 𓄀𓆑𓂋 this particular statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 represents him! That epithet could also be translated as β€œKindly of Face 𓄀𓁷𓏀𓀭” and can also be written as β€œπ“„€π“†‘π“‚‹π“·π“€π“€­.”

Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± was not created; he existed before anyone else and anything. In short, he was the creator of the other creator gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ, like Atum π“‡‹π“π“‚Ÿπ“€­. Due to Ptah’s π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± creativity, he is also the designated god π“ŠΉ of all forms of craftsman such as carpenters , shipbuilders, potters, metalworkers, and sculptors.

This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 would have been housed in a shrine π“π“Šƒπ“…“π“‚œπ“‰ and would have received offerings π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ𓏏𓏔𓏦 from priests π“ŠΉπ“›π“ͺ. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

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