Two Alabaster Monkey Vases

These are two 𓏻 alabaster vases at the MET which show a mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 monkey holding a baby monkey!

These are dated to Dynasty Six of the Old Kingdom (c. 2289–2246 B.C.E.). Archaeologists think that these vases allude to fertility because they were probably given to some of the pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 favorite couriers during the jubilee. In the second picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, the vase on the left is inscribed with the name 𓂋𓈖 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Merenre 𓇳𓌻𓂋𓈖 and the vase on the right is inscribed with the name 𓂋𓈖 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Pepi I 𓊪𓇋𓊪𓇋 (you can’t see it in my picture – sorry!).

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓆥 – King of Upper and Lower Egypt (He of the Sedge and the Bee)

(𓇳𓌻𓂋𓈖) – Merenre

𓆖 – Eternal

𓋹 – Life

I’ve said this before (it’s still true), that the names of the earlier pharaohs are a great way to practice reading phonogram hieroglyphs! Let’s take a closer look at Merenre 𓇳𓌻𓂋𓈖! 

The symbol “𓇳 – sun” is usually seen as an ideogram for “Ra/Re.” The symbol “𓇳 – sun” can also be a determinative for sun, day, and time. “Ra 𓇳” is written in the cartouche first and said last due to honorific transposition.

The “hoe 𓌻” (and it’s variants 𓌸, 𓌺, and 𓌸) are biliteral phonograms that represent the sound “mr” (might have been pronounced like “mer”). 

The “ mouth – 𓂋” is a uniliteral phonogram for the sound “r” and can be an ideogram for the word “mouth 𓂋𓏺.” 

The “ripple of water 𓈖” is also a phonogram sign, and it is also uniliteral sign. The “𓈖” is associated with the sound of “n!” 

All together, the name 𓂋𓈖 Merenre 𓇳𓌻𓂋𓈖 means “The Beloved of Re” or “The One Re Loves.”