Ptolemaic Statue of Anubis

This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is dated to the Ptolemaic Period (c. 332–30 B.C.E.) and is quite beautiful 𓄤 in person! I have never posted about this piece before because the lighting in the gallery is so bad that it makes it hard to get a good picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏! 

This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is made of plaster and wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺, and has been painted 𓏞𓏜 in many beautiful 𓄤 colors! Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 arms are raised in a protective 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 stance, as if he is welcoming the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 to the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. 

Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 held many important titles, all of which signify how important he was to not only embalming, but to all aspects of a person’s death 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The title “Upon His Hill/Mountain 𓁶𓏺𓈋𓆑” references the cliff that usually surrounded necropolises, which Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 (and jackals 𓊃𓄿𓃀𓃥𓏦) would guard. The title “He who is in the mummy wrappings 𓇋𓏶𓅱𓏏𓐎𓊖“ signifies Anubis’ role in the mummification process, which is what he is most known for. 

The title “In front at the God’s booth 𓏅𓊹𓉱” references Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 place not only in the place of embalming, but in the burial chamber 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓉐 of a tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 too!  Before Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 became a much more major god 𓊹 of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱, Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 had that role and was known by the title “Foremost of the Westerners 𓏅𓈖𓏏𓏭𓋀𓄿𓏦 ” Since the sun 𓆄𓅱𓇳 set in the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊, the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 was known as the land of the dead to the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪.