Month: November 2022

William the Hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 is kind of the unofficial mascot of the MET – probably because he’s so cute!

I always liked William because as a kid I was obsessed with the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 that was in “It’s a Small World” at Disney World! The first time I ever went to Disney at 4 years old I went with my Nonno and Nonna and I’ll never forget riding “It’s a Small World” together and seeing the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯!

William was made in the first part of the 12th Dynasty. In Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 were both feared and respected 𓈙𓆑𓄅. They were feared because they were one of the most dangerous animals in the Nile Valley 𓇗. However, hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 were also thought to be powerful protectors 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 against evil! William has lotus flowers 𓆸𓏪 painted all over him to associate it with rejuvenation! William is most likely painted blue 𓇅𓆓𓏛 to represent the Nile and rebirth.

When I was little I absolutely loved this stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪 (quartz) statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 cub because it reminded me of Simba from The Lion King! Only the main features of the lion cub are seen, but it is clear that this is a statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛. This cute little lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 is from the First Dynasty! During the Pre-Dynastic through Early Dynastic periods, statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 of animals were usually smaller. This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 though is almost like a transition piece towards the larger and grander statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 of the later dynasties.

Perneb 𓉐𓂋𓈖𓎟𓃀 was a palace administrator during the 5th Dynasty, and he had his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 built at Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 (modern day Saqqara). This type of tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 is commonly referred to today as a mastaba, but in ancient Egyptian times they were referred to as a “House of Eternity 𓉐𓆖.” The word “mastaba” is Arabic for the word “bench,” and these tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪 got their modern name 𓂋𓈖 due to their rectangular structure and flat roofs! 

During the Old Kingdom, the Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and the palace were pretty much the center of the government/society, so Perneb 𓉐𓂋𓈖𓎟𓃀 held quite an important role, hence the exquisite tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐! 

I am standing inside the mastaba 𓉐𓆖 of Perneb 𓉐𓂋𓈖𓎟𓃀 at the MET in front of his False Door! I will never forget seeing it for the first time with my Nonno – the first time I saw it, there was no glass on the reliefs! Seeing this for the first time will always be one of my greatest memories! I love being inside the mastaba 𓉐𓆖 because I feel like I am in Egypt – 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 I love being in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪!

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 and there is a spot at the base of the False Door where offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 are meant to be left. 

The False Door acted as a link between the land of the living 𓋹𓈖𓐍 and the land of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. 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.” 

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to travel all the way back to predynastic Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 (c. 3500-3300 B.C.E.)! More specifically, this piece is dated to the Naqada II Period (also known as the Gerzean Period), which is a period of accelerated development in art and culture. This time period is when more elaborate pottery began to appear and people started to get buried in larger and more elaborate tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪! This was all before the first 𓏃 writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥 even appeared, which was during Naqada III (3200-3000 B.C.E.).

This piece of pottery 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 is commonly referred to as “white cross-lined ware” by archaeologists. Flinders Petrie, the first Egyptologist to try and date predynastic pottery, described white cross-lined ware pottery 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 as being a reddish-brown or dark red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 color that was decorated with white 𓌉𓆓𓇳 images 𓅱𓏏𓅱𓏪 or geometric drawings. White cross-lined ware pottery 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 is usually only found in Upper Egypt 𓇓, near Abydos 𓍋𓃀𓈋𓊖 and Naqada. 

I absolutely love this piece of pottery 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 because the cute hippos𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 that are on it!  The hippopotamus 𓌉𓏏𓃯 is one of the animals that appears frequently in early Egyptian imagery 𓏏𓅱𓏏 probably because the people of the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 needed to always be on their guard in regards to hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 since they could dominate both the land 𓇾𓇾 and the water 𓈗. 

Even as ancient Egyptian culture evolved, Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 both feared and revered 𓇋𓌴𓄪 hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 due to their strength 𓄇𓏏𓂝𓏭 and power. While hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 were the most feared animals along the Nile, images 𓅱𓏏𓅱𓏪 of them could offer protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜, such as in the form of amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 which evolved much later.