Month: June 2022

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Relief from the Tomb of Dagi

This beautiful 𓄤 limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 relief is from the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 named Dagi, who served as vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 and treasurer 𓋨𓅱 during the reign of Montuhotep II 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 (Dynasty 11, c. 2010–2000 B.C.E.). It is unclear if the two 𓏻 men 𓋴𓂋𓀀 shown in this relief are Dagi’s sons, or if they are other officials 𓋴𓂋𓀀𓏦. The two 𓏻 men 𓋴𓂋𓀀 are wearing blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 armlets 𓄟𓋴𓎡𓏏𓅱𓏪 and broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝. This type of jewelry, while expensive to obtain in real life, was very common to see in reliefs.

While very simple, the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 in this relief show the name “𓊨𓏏𓅭”, which is pronounced as “Saiset” and translates to “Son of Isis.” This is actually one of the earliest examples of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 actually being used as part of a name 𓂋𓈖.

I am always a big fan of the simple reliefs that have a ton of color. It’s amazing how artifacts that are so old are still able to retain their color and beauty after thousands of years. No matter how many times I see stuff like this, it always amazes me!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabti of Sati

This is the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 of Sati, and the Brooklyn Museum has two 𓏻 of them! The ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 dates to either the reign of Amenhotep III 𓇳𓁧𓎠 or Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 (New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, c. 1390-1352 B.C.E.).

This piece is unique because of the color (I love the blue 𓇅𓆓𓏛 accents) and extreme attention to detail – the process to make it was so labor intensive that only a few like these were made!! While Sati was not royal (the only title associated with her was “mistress of the house”), these ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 were clearly a royal gift just due to the craftsmanship that went into making it.

This ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is made out of faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 and is mummiform in appearance, with the arms 𓂝𓏦 crossed along the chest. In each hand 𓂝𓏺, the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is holding a hoe and a basket. This indicates that the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 was meant to do some type of agricultural labor for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐! The ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is also wearing a broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝.

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of an “Amarna King”

The Amarna Period and Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 reign as pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 has always fascinated me. All of the radical changes that were made – such as changing the religion from polytheistic to the monotheistic worship of Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳, to moving the capital, to the changes in the art – it must have been quite crazy during those years!

This is actually one of my favorite pieces in the Brooklyn Museum – the Museum has the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 labeled as “Amarna King” but to me it’s clear that this piece represents Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖. He is represented in typical Amarna art style here: distended belly/large hips, very long arms, narrow neck and angular face. It is not known whether these are exaggerated features, or if the art was meant to be a more realistic representation of what the royal family looked like. Usually Egyptian art depicted people at their finest, with idealized features rather than realistic ones.

In this statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾, Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 is wearing the khepresh 𓆣𓂋𓈙𓋙 crown with the gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 Uraeus 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗 preserved at the front, a broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 necklace and a skirt. While this limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 statue’s 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 paint is preserved beautifully the gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 that is seen is actually gold leaf and not paint!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Sunken Relief of Ptolemy II

This sunken relief in granite 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓈖𓌳𓍿 depicts Ptolemy II Philadelphos 𓇳𓄊𓂓𓏺𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘. Although the Ptolemaic Period of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 had Greek/Macedonian rulers, they were still depicted in the ways of classical Egyptian art. This relief shows Ptolemy II 𓇳𓄊𓂓𓏺𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘 in full Egyptian fashion – he is wearing the nemes headdress 𓈖𓅓𓋴 with a Uraeus 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗 on the forehead.

Above Ptolemy II’s 𓇳𓄊𓂓𓏺𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘 head 𓁶𓏺, you can see the hieroglyphs “𓎟𓊪𓏏𓇯” which translates to “lord of the sky” or “lord of the heavens.” This title is usually associated with the god 𓊹 Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖.

Above his raised arms, you can see the bottom of a cartouche, which most likely held Ptolemy II’s name 𓂋𓈖. Userkara 𓇳𓄊𓂓𓏺𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘 “The strong one of the soul of Ra, beloved of Amun” was Ptolemy II’s throne name, while his birth name in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 was simply 𓊪𓏏𓍯𓃭𓐝𓇌𓋴 Ptolemaios. It was not uncommon for the Greek rulers to phonetically spell their names with the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! It can honestly make them very easy to read for people who are just beginning to learn!

This piece is from the Ptolemaic Period (c. 282-246 B.C.E.).

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Wooden Model Boat from the Tomb of Ukhhotep

This wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 model boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 is from the tomb of a man named Ukhhotep. This is one of two 𓏻 funerary boats that were found in his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 – most Middle Kingdom tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 that had wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models always contained two 𓏻 boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦 – In the tomb one was oriented to the north and the other towards the south. During the actual funeral, the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 would take one last journey across the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺. Models of boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦 (usually funerary boats), were usually found in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 as a way to symbolically bring the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 into the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.

I really love this model because of the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 that you can see underneath the canopy! The canopy also has a leopard skin at the top. The mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 is accompanied by two 𓏻 women 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐𓏪 mourners – they are probably meant to represent Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇. There is also a priest 𓊹𓍛 (dressed in the leopard skin) who holds a scroll with a funerary offering on it. There is a second priest 𓊹𓍛, also dressed in leopard skin with his arm 𓂝𓏺 extended outward in a mourning gesture.

Wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models were very popular amongst Middle Kingdom tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦. This particular boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 is dated to the 12th Dynasty (c. 1981–1802 B.C.E.)

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Middle Kingdom Coffin and Hieroglyph Translation

This is a stunning 𓄤 example of a Middle Kingdom coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱(Late 12 to mid-13 Dynasty c. 1850–1750 B.C.E.). Many coffins 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 from the Middle Kingdom were made of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 and elaborately painted. This coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 belonged to a person named Khnumnakht, who is an unknown individual except for this coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱.

The panel of this coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 that I chose to highlight is significant for many reasons. The two 𓏻 eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦 that are seen would serve as a way for the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 to be able to see into the land of the living. The head 𓁶𓏺 of the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 would have been placed directly behind these two 𓏻 eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦. Below the eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦, is the Middle Kingdom version of the false door (particularly popular in Old Kingdom tombs). The false door would allow the spirit of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 to be able to travel between the land of the living and the land of the dead.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙 – “An offering the king gives..”
𓊨𓁹𓏺 – “…Osiris…”
𓎟 – “…Lord…”
𓊽𓊽𓅱 – “…of Djedu…”
𓊹𓉻 – “…the Great God…”
𓎟 – “…Lord…”
𓍌𓈋𓃀𓅱𓊖 – “…of Abydos.”

So put together, the inscription says:

𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙𓊨𓁹𓏺𓎟𓊽𓊽𓅱𓊹𓉻𓎟𓍌𓈋𓃀𓅱𓊖

“An offering the king gives Osiris, Lord of Djedu, the Great God, Lord of Abydos.”

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Osiride Statue of Hatshepsut

It’s been a little bit since I’ve spoke about Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪!! As many of you know, Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is my favorite pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and she has been an inspiration to me ever since I was a little kid! The “Hatshepsut Room” at the MET is my most favorite gallery in any museum that I’ve been to – I feel so lucky that it’s so close to me here in NY! I still get so excited every time I get to step into the gallery! It is breathtaking every single time! Even with the mask, I think it’s very easy to see just how happy I am in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏.

This is a bust of Pharaoh Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪, in the form of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 (Osiride). The statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 originally stood over 4.6 m (15 ft) high and is originally from Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐. This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 was not a free-standing statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾- it was actually carved from the blocks that were once part of the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐.

Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 holds the traditional crook 𓋾 and flail 𓌅 across her chest, along with an ankh 𓋹 and scepter 𓌀. In antiquity, Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 was wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt 𓄤𓋑 on her head. About twenty 𓎆𓎆 years after Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 died, these statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 were cut off of the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 and thrown into a pit near the entrance. The statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 remained buried until they were discovered by excavators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the 1930s.

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Relief of Montuhotep II

This beautiful 𓄤 raised relief of Montuhotep II 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 and the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Hathor 𓉡 in limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 is originally from Montuhotep’s 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐. This relief was part of one of the main areas of the temple that was added at the end of Montuhotep’s 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 reign. This dates the piece to c. 2010–2000 B.C.E. (Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 11).

Hathor’s 𓉡 face was actually chiseled away during the Amarna Period, when Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 changed Egypt’s religion to the sole worship of the Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳. After Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 reign, in Dynasty 19, some repairs were made to this piece.

In the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, you can see Montuhotep II’s 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 birth name, throne name (both with titles), and Nebty name.

𓆥(𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪) – King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Montuhotep II (Birth Name)

𓅭𓇳(𓇳𓊤𓎟) – Son of Ra, Nebhapetra (Throne Name)

𓄥𓇿𓇿 – The Uniter of the Two Lands (Nebty 𓅒 Name)

In front of Hathor 𓉡 the inscription reads: 𓄥𓈖𓈖𓎡𓇿𓇿𓏇𓇋𓎗𓅱𓏏𓈖𓅺𓄫𓏏𓄣𓎟 which translates to “For you I united the two lands as the powers commanded, all joy.”

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Corn Mummies

Corn Mummies are an interesting part of Egyptian religious practices. While millions of animal mummies have been found at sites all over Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, mummies made of grains like wheat and barley have also been found. Corn mummies are found in cemeteries and are usually dated from the Third Intermediate Period through Roman times though they first appeared during the Middle Kingdom. This particular corn mummy is from the Ptolemaic Period (332–30 B.C.E.).

Corn Mummies are meant to be a representation of the god 𓊹 Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 and Egyptologists came to this conclusion because the “coffins” that contain the corn mummies almost always contain Osiris’ 𓁹𓊨𓀭 name and his titles/epithets. Another reason Egyptologists made the connection to Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 was the cyclic nature of growing grains – in Egyptian religion, anything that was cyclical was related to the birth-life-death cycle humans experience.

Even though the corn mummies are dedicated to Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, they are almost always found in cases with a falcon head. The falcon head is representative of the god Sokar 𓊃𓎡𓂋𓅋, who is often connected to Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. Their connection goes all the way back to the Old Kingdom, and The Pyramid Texts are the one of the first instances in which they are shown to have a connection.

Sokar 𓊃𓎡𓂋𓅋 was originally thought to be the god 𓊹 of craftsmanship, but due to his association and worship at Memphis, he became a prominent god 𓊹 of the afterlife. The combination forms of the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹, Sokar-Osiris (Middle Kingdom), Osiris-Sokar (New Kingdom) and the most popular Ptah-Sokar-Osiris also emphasizes this connection between the two 𓏻.

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Realistic Lion Statue of Amenhotep III or IV

This lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 was originally meant to represent the 18th Dynasty pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Amenhotep III 𓇳𓁧𓎠. The Egyptians believed that lions 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛𓏦 represented strength and might, which is why pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 wanted to be represented as lions 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛𓏦 (and why the Sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 was so popular). While being represented as a sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 was considered the “normal” in Egyptian art, being represented as a full lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 was very rare. Also, sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 are usually represented in a “head-on” type style, while this statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 represents the lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛𓏦 in a more realistic fashion.

To me, this piece showcases the incredible skills that Egyptian artists possessed – not only could they make idealized/traditional statues like sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦, but they were also masters at making realistic statues too.

This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 has gone through many changes and was recycled by many pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦! It was originally made for Amenhotep III 𓇳𓁧𓎠, however, an inscription was added to the chest by Amenhotep IV 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓊹𓋾𓌀 (better known as Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 after his name 𓂋𓈖 change).

The inscription reads “Lion of rulers, wild when he sees his enemies tread his path.” The picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 below shows a close up of this inscription, however it is hard to read – I got some help from the British Museum website for the translation because when hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are faded, especially when looking at them from my photographs, they can be extremely difficult for me to read!