Month: June 2022

This is a really cool piece – I love it because it reminds me of the Narmer 𓏠𓈖𓇋 Palette 𓐝𓊃𓏏𓆱! While a lot smaller, this “Carved Ceremonial Palette 𓐝𓊃𓏏𓆱” is dated to either the end of the pre-dynastic period or the beginning of the dynastic period (c. 3200-3100 B.C.E.). Why is the word “ceremonial” used to describe it? Usually when something historical is described as “ceremonial” that’s code for “we really don’t know the object’s purpose.”

The palette 𓐝𓊃𓏏𓆱 is made of graywacke 𓁷𓂋𓃀𓐍𓈖 which is a type of sandstone 𓂋𓅱𓂧𓏏𓌗𓈙 that was only really found in one particular quarry 𓎛𓏏𓏏𓉐 in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. The quarry 𓎛𓏏𓏏𓉐 was in the Eastern 𓋁𓃀𓏏𓏭 desert 𓅟𓂋𓏏𓈊 and was called Wadi Hammamat. The Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 referred to greywacke 𓁷𓂋𓃀𓐍𓈖 as the “bekhen stone.”

These pieces from the early history of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 are always so difficult yet so fascinating to attempt to interpret! The circular area in the center of the palette 𓐝𓊃𓏏𓆱 would have been used to grind eye paint (kohl). Egyptologists have interpreted the circle to be the body of a snake 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆙. Snakes 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆙𓏥 were representative of chaos and the universe. Above the circle is the image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 which is the emblem of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. The falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 is sitting on top of irrigated land (it’s the same symbol used to represent the Horus Name title for pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 at later dates).

This is a beautiful 𓄤 example of a False Door from the reign of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Userkaf 𓅱𓄊𓋴𓂓𓆑 (5th Dynasty). This False Door is part of a pair of False Doors and was from the west 𓋀𓏏𓏭 wall of a mastaba tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 in Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 that belonged to Nikauhor and his wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐 Sekemhathor 𓉡𓋴𓌂𓐍𓅓. Nikauhor was a judge and a priest 𓊹𓍛 in Userkaf’s 𓅱𓄊𓋴𓂓𓆑 sun temple while Sekemhathor 𓉡𓋴𓌂𓐍𓅓 was a priestess 𓊹𓍛𓏏 of Hathor 𓉡 and Neith 𓈖𓏏𓋌𓀭. I have posted about Sekemhathor’s 𓉡𓋴𓌂𓐍𓅓 False Door previously, and I will talk about Nikauhor’s!

This specific false door pictured belonged to Nikauhor, as he is the one depicted in the images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 along with his two sons 𓅭𓏦 (the smaller people standing next to Nikauhor). These images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 are expertly carved in raised relief. While the arch above the doorway isn’t there, Nikauhor’s name 𓂋𓈖 appears elsewhere on the door in order to identify it as his. It is common practice to have the deceased’s name 𓂋𓈖 above the door, but the arch was lost in antiquity.

False Doors are an extremely important part of ancient Egyptian funerary practices. False Doors served as ways for the living relatives to make offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The False Door acted as a link between the land of the living and the land of the dead. The ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 believed that the soul 𓂓 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 could travel between the two lands 𓇿𓇿 through the False Door. They are also known as “ka 𓂓 doors” or “soul 𓂓 doors.”

False Doors were usually located on the western 𓋀𓏏𓏭 walls of tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 because the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 is associated with the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 is associated with the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 because the sun 𓇳𓏺 sets in the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 – when Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 makes his daily journey across the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯, sunset 𓇋𓐍𓐍𓅱𓇶 is representative of his death.