Category: Egyptian Artifacts

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Bust of Akhenaten at the Louvre

Let’s take another look at an Amarna Period piece! This is a limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 bust of Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 that is currently in the Louvre! While you all know Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is my favorite pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 is my second favorite! I always refer to Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 as “my favorite disaster” because I think that is quite the succinct way to describe his 17 𓎆𓐀 year rule 𓋾 of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! 

While it can’t be seen in my pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦, some of the paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 is still preserved on the bust! One of the places that still has traces of paint is the Blue Crown (Khepresh) 𓆣𓂋𓈙𓋙 that Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 is wearing. Also, the ears and back of the neck still have traces of paint. 

The Uraeus 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗 is missing from the front of the Blue Crown 𓆣𓂋𓈙𓋙, and it was probably lost in antiquity. The Uraeus 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗 symbolizes divine authority, royalty, supremacy, and also acted as protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 for the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. Fun Fact: no example of the Blue Crown (Khepresh) 𓆣𓂋𓈙𓋙 has been found by archaeologists! 

The artistic style during Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 rule 𓋾 was very different than the traditional Egyptian art styles, which makes pieces like this bust so weird and wonderful in their own way! I will never get tired of studying Amarna art! 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Small Ivory Chair of Akhenaten

This tiny 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 ivory chair 𓎛𓊨𓏏𓆱 probably held a tiny 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 at one point! This chair 𓎛𓊨𓏏𓆱 is only about 5cm in height so it is very tiny! The amount of detail that the artist was able to carve into such a small piece is incredible! 

On the back of the chair 𓎛𓊨𓏏𓆱, Akhenaten’s nomen (birth name) and prenomen (throne name) are carved underneath the rays of the Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳. Let’s break down the names 𓂋𓈖𓏦! 

𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 – Akhenaten “Living Spirit of the Aten” – this is his “birth name” – though not really because Akhenaten changed his name to Akhenaten from Amenhotep IV 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓊹𓋾𓌀! 

𓇳𓄤𓆣𓇳𓏦𓌡𓈖 – Neferkheperrua “The Beautiful One of the Manifestations of Ra” is the throne name, which was probably taken when he was still calling himself Amenhotep IV 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓊹𓋾, since the name 𓂋𓈖 contains “Ra 𓇳” and not “Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳.” 

𓋍 – this symbol on the back of the chair 𓎛𓊨𓏏𓆱 is a combination of many different things! Most prominently, it is thought to be representative of the lungs 𓊃𓌴𓄥𓅱𓄺 and the windpipe 𓄥. The lungs 𓊃𓌴𓄥𓅱𓄺 are a symbol of Upper Egypt 𓇓 and the windpipe 𓄥 was a symbol of Lower Egypt 𓆤. Just like how the lungs 𓊃𓌴𓄥𓅱𓄺 and the windpipe 𓄥 need to work together in order for a person to survive, Upper 𓇓 and Lower 𓆤 Egypt needed to be unified in order for Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 to be a strong country!

The lung 𓊃𓌴𓄥𓅱𓄺 and windpipe 𓄥 design 𓋍 was usually found on objects that belonged to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

The three 𓏼 men 𓊃𓀀𓏦 on the side of the chair 𓎛𓊨𓏏𓆱 represent foreigners – a Libyan, an Asiatic, and a Nubian all of which are kneeling and raising their arms in a worshipping 𓇼𓄿𓀢 stance. 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Doorjamb from a Temple of Rameses II

This large piece at the MET is referred to as a “Doorjamb from a Temple of Rameses II.” Basically, that means these blocks came from a gateway at a temple that was built in honor of one of Rameses II’s 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖 royal jubilees. 

The offering scene that is on the doorjamb is Rameses II 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖 making an offering to the god 𓊹 Ptah-Tatanen 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁯, who was the patron god 𓊹 of the jubilee. Ptah-Tatanen 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁯 is a combination of the deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 (the creator god 𓊹) and Tatanen 𓁯, a lesser known deity who was the personification of the primordial mound that rose during the Egyptian creation myth. Tatanen 𓁯 is often compared to Geb 𓅭𓃀𓀭 (the god 𓊹 of the Earth 𓇾𓇾), however Tatanen 𓁯 is often associated with things that come from the interior of the Earth 𓇾𓇾 such as minerals, rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦, and plants 𓆾𓆰𓆰𓆰! 

So Geb 𓅭𓃀𓀭 is the Earth’s 𓇾𓇾 surface (The Upper Earth), while Tatanen 𓁯 is the Earth’s 𓇾𓇾 interior (The Lower Earth)! As a geologist, I love how the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 were able to make this distinction between the spheres of the Earth 𓇾𓇾 in their mythology! They also recognized the atmosphere (another sphere of the Earth 𓇾𓇾) as the god 𓊹 Shu 𓆄𓅱𓀭! It’s all so impressive to me! 

Ptah-Tatanen 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁯 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 is broken down like this: 

𓊪𓏏𓎛 – Ptah (spelled out with phonogram symbols)

𓁯 – Tatanen (the determinative/ideogram)

Ptah’s 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 determinative was basically replaced with the determinative for Tatanen 𓁯 to make the god’s 𓊹 name 𓂋𓈖! 

Can you spot Ptah-Tatanen 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁯 in the inscription on the doorjamb???

(Also Rameses III’s 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓈘𓇋𓏠𓈖 cartouches appear on this too on the bottom of the doorjamb – he clearly usurped this piece for his own use and didn’t change all of the cartouches!)

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Mislabeled Canopic Jars

These canopic jars are very famous pieces from the British Museum! Any time you read a book on mummification or Egyptian funerary practices, these canopic jars will make an appearance! The first book on Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 my Nonno ever gave me was Carol Andrews’ book on the mummies at the British Museum, and of course these canopic jars were in the book! It was so exciting to see them in person! However, these are “dummy” canopic jars; they aren’t even totally hollow inside so they definitely weren’t used during the mummification process. 

But that’s not what is the most interesting here; what’s most interesting is in the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Each canopic jar has a lid that represents one of the Four Sons of Horus. Each one has the task of protecting a specific organ 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹 of the deceased! 

From the left: 

-Qebehsenuef 𓏁𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑𓀭 (falcon head) held the intestines 𓈖𓊪𓅮𓄿𓏲𓏼

-Imseti 𓇋𓅓𓊃𓍿𓀭 (human head) held the liver 𓅓𓊃𓏏𓄹𓏸𓏸𓏸

-Hapi 𓎛𓐑𓊪𓇌𓀭 (baboon head) held the lungs 𓊃𓌴𓄥𓅱𓄺

-Duamutef 𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑𓀭 (jackal head) held the stomach 𓂋𓄣𓏻

Now, if you take a closer look at the inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the jars – Qebehsenuef 𓏁𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑𓀭 is labeled with Duamutef’s 𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑𓀭 name 𓂋𓈖 and vice versa! 

I’m not sure if it is an ancient mistake or a mistake by the museum! I’m always so amused when I come across stuff like this!

The inscription above the names is a common one that we have gone over before:

𓆓𓌃𓇋𓈖 – Words Spoken By

𓁹𓊨𓊹 – Osiris (the symbol for “god 𓊹” is used as the determinative here instead of the usual “𓀭” – I love seeing variation)!!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Large Seated Statue of Hatshepsut

This is the large granite statue of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 in comparison to me! This statue is tremendous in size and it so gorgeous to look at! Hateshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 really does look regal in it!

Here’s some family history about Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪, because I don’t think I have ever discussed it much on this page: Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 was the only child of her father, Thutmosis I 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓂓 and his principal wife 𓇓𓏏𓏏𓈞 Ahmose.

After the death of Thutmosis I 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓂓, Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 married her half brother, Thutmosis II 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓈖 who had become the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. While Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 was unable to produce a male heir, Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 was born to one of Thutmosis II’s 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓈖 lesser wives.

Thutmosis II died while Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 was still a child, so Hatsheput 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 became his co-regent until she declared herself the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. After Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 death, Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 assumed the role of pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

One of the many reasons I look up to Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 so much was because she was so intelligent and ambitious. Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 had an extremely prosperous reign because she was more concerned about expanding Egypt’s 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 economy and taking up new building projects as opposed to conquering new lands with her military.

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

The Temple of Dendur

The room at the MET that houses the Temple of Dendur doesn’t feel like a gallery in a museum – it feels like you are in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. This is one of my absolute favorite places. I could literally just sit in this place for hours just taking in the atmosphere – sometimes just existing and taking in a place without rushing around or having a plan is the best.

The temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 was actually commissioned by Augustus and building was complete by 10 B.C. Dendur is located in Nubia, and is just south of Aswan. Even though the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 was built by Augustus, it definitely follows Egyptian style and not Roman style. The emperor is actually presented as a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 worshipping Egyptian gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 on the walls of the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐. The temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 was primarily used to worship the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥.

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Large Granite Sphinx of Hatshepsut

This large granite Sphinx of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is not in the “Hatshepsut Gallery” (as I like to call it) at the MET – in fact, she is right next to the Temple of Dendur! I find it an interesting placement in the museum because the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 and the Sphinx are from two very different time periods in Egyptian history. The temple of Dendur was built by Augustus while Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 ruled during the New Kingdom.

The Sphinx was one of six large sphinxes that would line her temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Deir el-Bahri. It is made of granite, which was mined at Aswan and then transported ~500 miles up the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺. Granite is a super dense rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪 so this was no easy task!

This is a large and absolutely beautiful 𓄤 piece in real life. Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is depicted wearing the nemes 𓈖𓅓𓋴 head cloth and the false beard – typical fashion for a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Thutmosis I

Thutmosis I 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓂓 (or 𓅝𓄟𓋴) was the third 𓏼 pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the 18th Dynasty. His name 𓅝𓄟𓋴 means “Born of Thoth.” Thutmosis I 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓂓 was responsible for many successful military campaigns and building projects, including additions to the Temple of Amun at Karnak. Though, in my opinion, Thutmosis I’s 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓂓 most notable achievement is being Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 father 𓇋𓏏𓀀!

This statue is in the British Museum! I dream of going back to the British Museum one day – I was lucky enough to be able to go there twice on my trip to London, and even luckier that I got to explore the museum with my Nonno💜.

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Column of Rameses II

From Nonno’s point of view!!

He took a picture of me taking a picture while we were in the British Museum 😂 – I love it!!

Anyway, this is a red granite column that was originally inscribed for Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓! Both of his cartouches can be seen throughout -(𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓) and (𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖). Also his titles such as “Lord of the Two Lands 𓎟𓇿𓇿” and “Lord of Appearances 𓎟𓈍𓏥” can be seen on top of his cartouches.

This column was definitely usurped by another pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 at some point because some of the cartouches on this column don’t belong to Rameses II 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖!

In the bottom of this picture you can see the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 for “Lord of the Two Lands 𓎟𓇿𓇿” very clearly!

I have always loved seeing the columns in museums because you can get a sense of the grand scale of the Egyptian monuments. Since I have never been to Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, it’s nice to see just how grand their building was! I love the design of this column; the top looks like a flower 𓆸!

Cartouche for Rameses II (𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓).
Another side of the column!
Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Thutmosis III

Not going to lie, I have had a love/hate relationship with Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 my whole life 😂 – I know that sounds weird to say about a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 who I clearly have never met, but it’s the only way I can describe it!! This piece is in the MET, and the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are inscribed so beautifully on it! Definitely very eye-catching!

When I first started learning about Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓 as a kid, I was (and still am!) so completely fascinated by her and how she became the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. Since Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 was a child when Thutmosis II 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓈖 died, Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓 became the co-regent, until she named herself the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and pretty much “took the throne.” Since females were never in line for the throne, even though Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓 was the daughter of Thutmosis I 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓂓 and his main queen 𓇓𓏏𓏏𓈞, she was never in line to be pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

So why my love/hate relationship with Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣? Well, for the longest time it was thought that after Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 death, when he relcaimed the throne, Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 had Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 monuments destroyed and her name erased from as many things as possible. Did he actually do this? Scholars aren’t sure it happened to the extent that it was once thought. But I don’t think we will ever have an answer.

What were some of Thutmosis III’s 𓇳𓏠𓆣 accomplishments? He was a great military leader and conquered all of Syria. This is in great contrast to Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓, who focused more on trade and economic endeavors than military campaigns.