Look at all the hippos πππ―π¦!!! So I have a story: The first time I ever went to Disney World, I went with my Nonno and Nonna and I think I was four years old at the time! When we went on βItβs a Small World,β I fell in love with the hippo πππ― that winks at you! The hippo πππ― became my favorite part of the ride, and even to this day, I look forward to seeing the hippo πππ―! And yes Iβm sure this is an unpopular opinion but I LOVE going on βItβs a Small World!β Itβs one of my favorites!!!
The winking hippo in “It’s a Small World”
So when I started studying ancient Egypt ππ ππ with my Nonno, I always loved the hippo πππ― statues because they reminded me of the hippo πππ― on βItβs a Small World!β I have included a picture of the hippo πππ― in Disney World so you guys can also see the similarities!
In Egypt ππ ππ, hippos πππ―π¦ were both feared and respected πππ . They were feared because they were one of the most dangerous animals in the Nile Valley π. However, hippos πππ―π¦ were also thought to be powerful protectors π ππ‘π against evil!
Hippo artifacts at the MET
A lot of the hippos πππ―π¦ have lotus flowers πΈπͺ painted all over them to associate them with rejuvenation! The hippos πππ―π¦ are most likely painted blue/green π ππ to represent the Nile ππππ ±ππππΊ and rebirth. Whatβs really cool is that the βItβs a Small Worldβ hippo πππ― also has flowers painted on it!
This mask is dated to the 18th Dynasty (New Kingdom c. 1492-1473 B.C.E). It is also made of catonnage, which is the ancient Egyptian version of paper-mache – cartonnage is usually made of up linen. Just like the Roman mask I posted yesterday, this mask is also overlaid with gold foil ππππ. Gold ππππ is a metallic element, and one of the properties of metallic elements is that they are malleable. This means that they can be hammered into very thin sheets. This made gold ππππ very easy to work with!
Mummy Mask of Hatnefer at the MET
I love the eyes πΉππ₯ of this mask! The eyes πΉππ₯ are made of two different types of stone ππππ. The white πππ³ part is alabaster π±ππ, which is usually a form of the minerals calcite or gypsum. The black ππ part is made of obsidian. Obsidian is an extrusive igneous rock which form when lava from a volcano cools instantaneously. This rapid cooling gives obsidian a glass-like appearance which is why obsidian is often referred to as volcanic glass.
This mask belonged to a woman πππππ named Hatnefer who died in her 70s. Hatnefer was able to get such a mask because her son π was Senemut π’ππ πΌ, aka Hatshepsutβs ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ most trusted advisor! Due to Senemutβs π’ππ πΌ rise in status, he was able to provide a nice burial and tomb ππ«ππ for his mother π ππ. Senemut π’ππ πΌ also used his motherβs π ππ death as an opportunity move his father πππ from his original burial place into this tomb ππ«ππ.
Hatneferβs tomb ππ«ππ was discovered in 1936, during the METβs Egyptian Expedition.
Another mummy mask?! Why not!! This mask of a woman is dated to the Late Period (1st Century B.C.E). It is also a cartonnage mask, which was a very popular type of material to use because it was easy to work with and the mask could be made relatively quickly. The colors on this mask are so bright and well preserved – especially the broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ. I love how the Egyptians πππππͺ used red π§πππ and the blue/green π ππ color together ππ a lot. I love that color combination!
I have also provided a close-up of the art on the wig that shows the goddesses Isis π¨ππ₯ (left) and Nephthys π ππ(right). Isis π¨ππ₯ and Nephthys π ππ were sisters (which means their brothers are Osiris πΉπ¨π and Seth πππ‘π£). While Osiris πΉπ¨π and Isis π¨ππ₯ were also married, so were Nephthys π ππ and Seth πππ‘π£. Isis π¨ππ₯ and Osiris πΉπ¨π are shown together quite frequently, Nephthys π ππ and Seth πππ‘π£ are rarely shown together in art because Nephthys π ππ was considered to be a positive figure instead of negative. She is usually depicted with either just Isis π¨ππ₯, or with Isis π¨ππ₯ and Osiris πΉπ¨π.
You can easily tell Isis π¨ππ₯ and Nephthys π ππ apart from each other in Egyptian art based off of the crowns that they are wearing. The crowns correspond to the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ that make up their names!
Isis (π¨ππ₯) wears βπ¨β as a crown! Nephthys (π ππ) wears βπ β as a crown!
One of the features of Egyptian funerary practices that persisted throughout time was the mummy masks. Mummy masks first appeared during the First Intermediate Period (~2181 BCE), and were last used during the Roman Period (~395 AD). While the styles certainly changed, their purpose of protecting the mummy ππΉπ ±πΎ remained the same. The function of protection is made explicit by Spell 151 from the Book of the Dead. Spell 151 also restores the ability of the dead to see through the mask. Spell 151 even appears on the back of the mask of Tutankhamun ππ πππ ±ππΉπΎπΊπ!
Mummy Mask (Roman Period) at the Brooklyn Museum
This mask is from the Roman Period, and itβs always so interesting to see the merging of the two π» different styles. The mask is made of cartonnage (kind of like paper mache) and is covered in gold ππππ leaf, which is typical of Ptolemaic/Roman masks. The mummy ππΉπ ±πΎ is wearing a nemes ππ π΄ style headdress, and Khepri π£πππ (the winged scarab ππͺπππ£) can be seen on the head πΆπΊ. Khepri π£ππ is a symbol of rebirth.
What makes this mask so beautiful π€ are all of the small details in the gold ππππ leaf. The most prominent is the deceased (as a mummy ππΉπ ±πΎ) standing before ππ Osiris πΉπ¨π. The protective cobras ππππππͺ also adorn the mask. Daisies/Rosettes are seen as decoration along with the Wedjat-eyes π on each side. Both of these are also symbols of rebirth!
During Roman times, masks were mass produced in workshops so it is unlikely that this mask represents a specific person.
Here are some more scarabs ππͺπππ£πͺ of Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ from the MET! The MET has so many of these beautiful π€ scarabs ππͺπππ£πͺ and I honestly love looking at them! I really like tiny things, so scarabs ππͺπππ£πͺ and other amulets ππͺπ πͺ are some of my favorite pieces to see in museums!
These two π» scarabs ππͺπππ£πͺ both show Hatshepsutβs throne name Maatkare π³π¦π in between the Red Crown of Lower Egypt π§ππππ. The name ππ Maatkare π³π¦π translates to βTruth is the Soul of Ra.β
The Red Crown π§ππππ is also known as the Deshret, which can also translate to βred land π πππ.β The word Deshret π πππ referred to both the crown (π§ππππ) and the desert (π πππ) on either side of the Nile ππππ ±ππππΊ. While the words are written differently in hieroglyphs πΉππͺ, they are pronounced the same.
The fertile soil along the Nile ππππ ±ππππΊ was referred to as Kemet ππ ππ, or βblack land.β
This wooden π±ππΊ chair ππ¨ππ± is from the tomb ππ«ππ of Hatnefer. Hatnefer was Senemutβs π’ππ πΌ mother π ππ and due to his status as Hatshepsutβs ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ most trusted advisor, he was able to give his motherπ ππ a proper burial. I am always so amazed when wooden π±ππΊ pieces are still in such great condition – wood π±ππΊ is organic and it can break down very quickly as compared to a material like rock ππππ.
Wooden Chair of Hatnefer at the MET
The linen π± that makes up the seat of the chair ππ¨ππ± is the original linen π± and has not been restored at all! The back of the chair ππ¨ππ± contains a design alternating between the tyet π¬ (Isis Knot) and the Djed pillar π½. The tyet π¬ symbol invokes the protection of Isis π¨ππ₯, while the Djed pillar π½ symbolizes stability. It is thought that the Djed pillar π½ is actually the spine of the god πΉ Osiris πΉπ¨π.
In the middle of the tyet π¬ and Djed pillars π½ is the god Bes ππ΄π. Bes ππ΄π had many functions as a god πΉ and one of them was the protector of the home ππΊ.
This is definitely a unique piece! I had never seen one like it in another museum which is why I was so interested in it!
The Brooklyn Museum has it listed as a βModel of a Temple Gateway.β The actual function of the model is unclear because it is not a model that was used by an architect! It is listed as being βceremonialβ – which is archaeology speak for βwe have no idea what this is for”!
The sunken reliefs around the base of the model show Pharaoh Seti I ππ ππ»ππ£π in a kneeling position making offerings to several forms of the sun-god. Khepri π£πππ (the rising sun), Ra-Horkathy π πππ€ (sun at the highest point in the sky – known as the zenith), and Atum ππππ (the setting sun and one of the creation gods πΉπΉπΉ) can all be seen.
The cartouche shown is one of the variations of Seti Iβs π³π¦π throne name. Usually itβs just written as π³π¦π (Eternal is the Truth of Ra) but here itβs shown as π³π π§ππ³ (Eternal is the Truth of Ra, the image of Ra).
One of the most popular types of jewelry amongst the elite – including the pharaohs ππ»π¦ and royal family is known as the broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ. In Middle Egyptian, the word for broad collar was π ±π΄ππΊπ (pronounced βwesekh) or simply just the determinative hieroglyph π could be used for the whole word. This particular broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ was made during the late 18th Dynasty.
The broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ was the necklace of choice by both the gods πΉπΉπΉ and the pharaohs ππ»π¦ and it reached peak popularity during the 18th Dynasty. Broad collars π ±π΄ππΊππ¦ could be made of many different types of materials, including gold ππππ, but the one shown in this picture are made of blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ faience π£πππΈπΌ beads. This broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ is in almost perfect condition!
Underneath the broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ is actually a spoon! It is not a spoon that was used for eating, but instead used to hold ointment π΄πΌππ. The top part of the spoon swivels open! It is fashioned after a pomegranate ππππ π, and the spoon part itself is supposed to be a pomegranate ππππ π fruit. Fun fact: pomegranate ππππ π flowers and fruit never appear on the plant at the same time, so maybe the spoon is representative of the growth from flowers to fruit/the life cycle of the plant??!! We will never know!
This post will be about two statues from different museums that are very similar!
This is a wooden π±ππΊ statue πππππΎ of the goddess πΉπ Nephthys π ππ dated from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period. I am always amazed when wooden π±ππΊ statues are in such great condition – even though the paint is chipping in some places, the statue πππππΎ still retained much of its original color!
Wooden Statue of Nephthys at the Brooklyn Museum
Along with her sister π’ππ Isis π¨ππ₯, Nephthys π ππ was a protector π ππ‘π of the dead and this statue πππππΎ was most likely used for funerary purposes. The crown on her head is one of the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ that is used in her name (π ), which makes Nephthys π ππ very easy to identify in tomb art/funerary art. Her hand/arm ππΊ is raised in what is thought to me a mourning position, and this statue πππππΎ was most likely placed in a tomb ππ«ππ.
Nephthysβ π ππ title was βMistress of the House ππππΊ.β Her name ππ could also be written as ππππππ―π. The three πΌ symbols βπππβ can be combined to make the βπ β symbol, which is not only the crown, but a space saver when writing out hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
Nephthysβ π ππ hair is blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ because it was supposed to be the same color as lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§! Lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§ is a stone (usually found in modern day Afghanistan) and was considered to be worth more than gold ππππ by the ancient Egyptians πππππͺ because it had to be traded for! Many of the gods πΉπΉπΉ and goddesses πΉπΉπΉπ were thought to have blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§ hair!
This is a wooden π±ππΊ statue πππππΎ of the goddess πΉπ Isis π¨ππ₯ is dated from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period. Once again, this wooden π±ππΊ statue is in such great condition! When I saw the statue of Nephthys π ππ in the Brooklyn Museum, it immediately reminded me of this statue of Isis π¨ππ₯ at the Louvre!
Wooden Statue of Isis at the Louvre
Isis π¨ππ₯ was a protector π ππ‘π of the dead and the wife to Osiris πΉπ¨π. This statue πππππΎ was most likely used for funerary purposes. Her hands/arms ππ¦ are raised in what is thought to be a mourning position, and this statue πππππΎ was most likely placed in a tomb ππ«ππ.
The crown on her head is one of the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ that is used in her name (π¨), which makes Isis π¨ππ₯ very easy to identify in tomb art/funerary art. Isis can also be written as π¨ππ or πΏπ¨ππ₯, but no matter what, the βπ¨β always appears in her name ππ!
Much like the statue of Nephthysβ π ππ from the Brooklyn Museum, Isisβ π¨ππ₯ hair is blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ because it was supposed to be the same color as lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§! Many of the gods πΉπΉπΉ and goddesses πΉπΉπΉπ were thought to have blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§ hair!
