Month: April 2023

Base of a Hatshepsut Statue

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 9, 2023

If an object has Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 name 𓂋𓈖 or face on it, I am going to get excited about it – no matter what the artifact is! I was so excited to see this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 base on my most recent trip to the MET because it has not been on display for a while!

Me with the base of a Hatshepsut statue at the MET

This limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 base shows Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 throne name cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 on the left, and an image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of her as a sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 on the right. It may be difficult to see in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, but some of the paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 has been retained on the limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉.

A closeup of the base of the Hatshepsut statue.

The statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 that stood on top of this base is most likely long gone. Most of Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 from her temple at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐 were found in pieces, as they were intentionally destroyed after her death 𓅓𓏏𓏱.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Hatshepsut’s throne name cartouche, Maatkare on the statue base

This piece contains Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 throne name or prenomen, which is the name 𓂋𓈖 she took when she became the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻! Let’s take a closer look at this beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 name 𓂋𓈖!

𓇳𓁦𓂓 – Maatkare

Let’s break down each of the symbols!

𓇳 – Re

𓁦 – Truth (Maat)

𓂓 – Soul (Ka)

So all 𓎟 together 𓈖𓊗, her name 𓂋𓈖 translates to “Truth is the Soul of Re.”

Hatshepsut represented as a sphinx on the statue base

Tags artifact, hatshepsut, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs Video

Video – Kohl Tube

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 8, 2023

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at a Kohl 𓆓𓂝𓌠𓃀 Tube! Kohl 𓆓𓂝𓌠𓃀 was a type of eye paint (makeup) that was very popular amongst the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪! This tube would have contained the kohl 𓆓𓂝𓌠𓃀, and then a wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 or faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 stick would have been used to apply it! The kohl 𓆓𓂝𓌠𓃀 tube itself is also made of faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼, hence the gorgeous blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 color! This piece is dated to the 18th Dynasty (c. 1390-1353 B.C.E.).

For me, the most interesting part of an artifact is always going to be the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 on the object!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓊹𓄤 – Perfect God

𓎟𓇿𓇿 – Lord of the Two Lands

𓇳𓁧𓎠 – Nebmaatra (Amenhotep III’s Throne Name)

𓇓𓈞𓏏 – King’s Great Wife

𓍘𓇌𓏭𓁗 – Tiye

𓋹𓍘 – May She Live!

Some of you may notice when looking at this inscription that Queen Tiye’s 𓍘𓇌𓏭𓁗 name 𓂋𓈖 is in a cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 too! Sometimes, the names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 of the queens who held the title of the “King’s Great Wife 𓇓𓈞𓏏” also appeared in cartouches 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷𓏦 to demonstrate their importance to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. Fun Fact: Tiye 𓍘𓇌𓏭𓁗 was actually the mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 of Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 and Tutankhamun’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 grandmother!

A closeup image of the Kohl Tube of Amenhotep III, which is featured in the above video!

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, video

Egyptian Artifacts

The Goddess Seshat

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 7, 2023

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 I am going to speak about a goddess 𓊹𓏏 I have never written about before and her name 𓂋𓈖 is Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐! The reason I never wrote about Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 is because I never had a picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of her! I was so excited to finally “meet” Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 at the Brooklyn Museum!

Me at the Brooklyn Museum with a limestone relief of the goddess Seshat! You can always tell that it’s Seshat pictured due to the “𓋇” crown on her head which is associated with her!

Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 is the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of writing, wisdom and knowledge. Her name 𓂋𓈖 literally translates to “female scribe,” and she is also the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪! In this relief, she is depicted as a scribe 𓏟𓀀 because she is holding writing with a stylus on a board. You can easily pick Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 out in Egyptian art because of the seven pointed emblem 𓋇 that she wears on her head (I call it a star). This symbol is also part of her name, which makes it easy!

Limestone relief of Seshat at the Brooklyn Museum.

Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 is also the goddess of architecture, accounting, mathematics, and surveying. This is what made her an essential part of a building ceremony called the “Stretching of the Cord.” The “Stretching of the Cord” was part of the foundation ritual that occurred when a building was constructed in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. It involved nailing four 𓏽 stakes into the ground at the four 𓏼 corners of the building and then linking them with a cord.

Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 is definitely related to and shares some of the same functions as the god 𓊹 Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭 (or Djehuty to the ancient Egyptians), who was also considered to be the god 𓊹 of writing, knowledge and wisdom. Usually Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭 is credited with inventing writing/hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 (hence his title “Lord of the Divine Words/Writing 𓎟𓊹𓌃𓂂𓂂𓂂𓏟”), however, some mythology credits Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 with inventing writing/hieroglyphs, while Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭 was the one who taught writing to man!

Here are some ways to write Seshat’s name 𓂋𓈖 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪:

Seshat 𓋇

Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐

Seshat 𓋴𓈙𓄿𓏏𓅆

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, gods and goddesses, seshat

Reading Hieroglyphs

Is it Ushabti or Shabti?

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 6, 2023

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be taking a closer look at the inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 that is on the Ushabti of Sati, which is the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 that I posted about yesterday 𓋴𓆑𓇳!

The word “shabti 𓆷𓄿𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾” in hieroglyphs on the Ushabti of the Lady Sati (Dynasty 18)

I was so excited when I saw the variant for the word “shabti 𓆷𓄿𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾” going across the front of the hieroglyphic text 𓏟𓏛𓏥 (it’s in the middle row of this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏) and it was clear to read! I don’t know why spotting a single word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 makes me so excited, but it did! I guess I just love 𓈘𓏏 ushabtis that much!

I have seen people debate if the correct word for my favorite funerary figures is “shabti” or “ushabti,” when in reality, both pronunciations would be correct! So why would both “shabti” and “ushabti” be correct? Its because the word appears both ways in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 too! The word “𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 usbty” is where “ushabti” comes from and the word “𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 sawabti” is where “shabti” comes from!

The variant of “𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 sawabti” is what appears on this ushabti figure – it is missing the “𓍯” symbol, most likely for spacing reasons, so it is spelled like this: 𓆷𓄿𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾. It would still be pronounced as “sawabti” though!

The word for “stick 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓄿𓃀𓏲𓍘𓇋𓆱” is pronounced like “swbt,” and many Egyptologists think that this was the word that “𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 sawabti” was originally derived from. The term ““𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 sawabti” was used mostly during the New Kingdom Period, which is the time period this ushabti pictured is from.

It has also been proposed that the word “Ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾” (which became more popular from the 21st Dynasty and onward), is derived from the verb “to answer 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓀁,” which would be pronounced like “wsb.” This makes sense too because ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 answered the call of the deceased to perform manual labor in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.

My Nonno always said “Ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾” so that is what I tend to say as well! Which term to you usually use?

Tags brooklyn museum, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, shabti, ushabti

Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabti of Sati

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 5, 2023

This is the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 of Sati, and the Brooklyn Museum has two 𓏻 of them! The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 dates to the New Kingdom Dynasty 18 (c. 1390-1352 B.C.E.).

The Ushabti of Sati at the Brooklyn Museum. The hieroglyphs on this Ushabti are the “Shabti Spell”

Sati was not royal nor a high-ranking official so these ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 were clearly a royal gift just due to the craftsmanship that went into making it. Sati’s only title that appears on the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 is “mistress of the house 𓎟𓏏𓉐𓏺.”

This piece is unique because of the six different colors on the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 – most were not this colorful. I really love the blue 𓇅𓆓𓏛 accents and extreme attention to detail on this piece. If you look closely, the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are painted so beautifully on to the body of the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾. These hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are the standard “Shabti Spell,” from Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺. This spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛 gives the ushabti 𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 the power to complete tasks (farming, manual labor, etc) for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the Field of Reeds 𓇏𓏏𓈅𓇋𓄿𓂋𓅱𓆰𓊖.

The “Shabti Spell” usually starts off with the following phrase:

𓋴𓌉𓆓𓇶 – The Illuminated One

𓁹𓊩𓀭 – The Osiris

Then the “Shabti Spell” will usually list the deceased’s 𓅓𓏏𓏱 job/titles:

𓎟𓏏𓉐𓏺 – Mistress of the House

This ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 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 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 is holding a hoe and a basket. This indicates that the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 was meant to do some type of agricultural labor for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 (as per the Shabti Spell)! The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 is also wearing a broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝.

Me with the Ushabti of Sati at the Brooklyn Museum!

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, shabti, ushabti

Egyptian Artifacts

Vase of Woman Holding Anubis

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 4, 2023

On my most recent trip to the Brooklyn Museum, I saw this piece for the first 𓏃 time and it caught my eye immediately! I don’t remember ever really seeing a piece like this in a museum before and I think it’s stunning!

This is a clay 𓊪𓈖𓋴𓈇 vase 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 which depicts a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 holding a jackal 𓊃𓄿𓃀𓃥 or dog 𓃀𓎛𓈖𓃡! Some Egyptologists think that this vase 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 depicts a servant woman holding the pet dog 𓃀𓎛𓈖𓃡 of her master or mistress.

During the 18th Dynasty, when this piece was made, a certain group of potters 𓇋𓐪𓂧𓏏𓏭𓀨𓇋𓏲𓏭𓏜𓀜𓈖𓆓𓊃𓏏𓏰𓅩𓏦 (possibly all people from the same workshop) made vases 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋𓏪 in the form of humans 𓇬𓈋𓏏𓅱𓀀𓁐𓏦 and animals! This would have been a complex process, and the potters 𓇋𓐪𓂧𓏏𓏭𓀨𓇋𓏲𓏭𓏜𓀜𓈖𓆓𓊃𓏏𓏰𓅩𓏦 would have had to make both halves of the piece separately using a mold for each and then join them together!

I really like it because I just see a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 holding what looks to be a recumbent jackal – aka Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣! Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is my absolute favorite Egyptian deity 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and my first thought when I saw this piece was that I could see Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 in the woman’s 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 arms! I think this piece is so beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 and I think the little Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is the cutest thing! This piece was made between the reigns of Amenhotep III 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓋾𓋆 and Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 (c. 1479-1352 B.C.E.) and was found at Saqqara (Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖).

Tags anubis, artifact, brooklyn museum, gods and goddesses

Egyptian Artifacts

Broad Collar and Pomegranate Spoon

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 3, 2023

Here I am at the Brooklyn Museum with a beautiful 𓄤 Broad Collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 and Pomegranate 𓇋𓈖𓉔𓏠𓆭 Spoon 𓂝𓂝𓃀𓎺𓈙𓆑𓂧𓅱𓈔! Let’s learn some more about these beautiful 𓄤 pieces!

Me with the Broad Collar and Pomegranate Spoon at the Brooklyn Museum!

One of the most popular types of jewelry 𓂝𓏏𓍢 amongst the elite – including the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹, pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 and royal family is known as the broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝. In Middle Egyptian, the word for broad collar was “𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 wesekh.” The last symbol of the word (the determinative hieroglyph) could also act as an ideogram be be used to represent the whole word “𓋝 wesekh.”

This particular broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 was made during the late 18th Dynasty, which is when this style reached peak popularity. Broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦 could be made of many different types of materials, including gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉, but the one shown in this picture are made of blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 beads 𓋴𓅓𓂧𓏏𓏯𓏸𓏦. This broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 is in almost perfect condition!

A closer view of the Broad Collar and Pomegranate Spoon at the Brooklyn Museum!

Underneath the broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 is actually a spoon 𓂝𓂝𓃀𓎺𓈙𓆑𓂧𓅱𓈔! It is not a spoon 𓂝𓂝𓃀𓎺𓈙𓆑𓂧𓅱𓈔 that was used for eating, but instead used to hold ointment 𓋴𓎼𓈖𓈖. The top part of the spoon 𓂝𓂝𓃀𓎺𓈙𓆑𓂧𓅱𓈔 swivels open! It is fashioned after a pomegranate 𓇋𓈖𓉔𓏠𓆭, and the spoon 𓂝𓂝𓃀𓎺𓈙𓆑𓂧𓅱𓈔 part itself is supposed to be a pomegranate 𓇋𓈖𓉔𓏠𓆭 fruit.

The Middle Egyptian word for “spoon 𓂝𓂝𓃀𓎺𓈙𓆑𓂧𓅱𓈔,” is actually translated as “incense spoon” or “cosmetic spoon,” which is what the function of this object seems to be!

Fun fact: pomegranate 𓇋𓈖𓉔𓏠𓆭 flowers and fruit never appear on the plant 𓇐𓅓𓆰 at the same time, so maybe the spoon 𓂝𓂝𓃀𓎺𓈙𓆑𓂧𓅱𓈔 is representative of the growth from flowers 𓆼𓅱𓆰𓏦 to fruit or the life cycle of the plant 𓇐𓅓𓆰? We will never know!

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, jewelry

Video

Video – Let’s Play #IFoundImhotep

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 2, 2023

My Nonno always made going to museums so much fun and I’m sure this is why I have always loved going to museums!

One of our favorite things to see in a museum were the bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 of Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪! My Nonno would always point out Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 and tell me about all of the incredible things he did (like being the architect behind Djoser’s 𓂦 Step Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴)! I have always been fascinated by Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪!

My Nonno turned finding the Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 into a game, and I want to play the game with everyone!! Tag me in your photos or use the hashtag #IFoundImhotep on Instagram to show me your pictures of the bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 of Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 that are in your local museums!

Let’s keep my Nonno’s game alive!

The bronze statue of Imhotep at the Brooklyn Museum

𓏙𓋹𓆖𓎛𓇳𓎛

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, ifoundimhotep, imhotep, video

Reading Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphs on Mummification Vase

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 1, 2023

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at an inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 that is on a blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 vase 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 that might have been used during the mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 process! This vase 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 is dated to the 19th Dynasty. How do we know it’s from the 19th Dynasty? We can look at the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 that show the throne name and birth name of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Rameses II 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖!

A Mummification Vase with the cartouches of the pharaoh Rameses II (19th Dynasty)

We are going to start reading from the middle-left column!

𓎟𓇿𓇿 – Lord of the Two Lands

𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖 – Usermaatre setep en Ra (Throne Name of Rameses II which translates to “The Justice of Ra is powerful, Chosen of Ra.”)

𓏙𓋹- Given Life

The left column:

𓇋𓏠𓈖𓇳𓏺 – Amun-Ra

𓇓𓏏𓊹𓏦- King of the Gods

𓎟 – Lord

𓊪𓏏𓇯 – Sky

𓌸𓇌 – Beloved

The middle-right column:

𓎟𓈍𓏥 – Lord of Appearances

𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 – Ramessu mery Amun (Birth Name of Rameses II which translates to “Ra has fashioned him, beloved of Amun.”)

𓇳𓏺 – Ra

𓏇 – Like

𓆄 – Truth (Maat)

This last part would translate to “Truth Like Ra.”

The right column:

𓇋𓏠𓈖𓇳𓏺 – Amun-Ra

𓎟𓎼𓎼𓎼𓇿𓇿 – Lord of the Thrones

𓌸𓇌 – Beloved

Tags hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, louvre, rameses ii

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