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Egyptian Artifacts

Boat of Mutemwia

This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is dedicated to Mutemwia π“π“…π“…“π“Šž who was a minor wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐 of Thutmosis IV 𓇳𓏠𓆣𓏼 and mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Amenhotep III π“‡³π“§π“Ž .Β 

This statue was originally meant to show Mutemwia π“π“…π“…“π“Šž on a sacred boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž(her body has been broken off). The boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž has the goddess Hathor 𓉑 on the front. The sides of the boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž are inscribed with the name and titles of Mutemwia π“π“…π“…“π“Šž along with a carving of the Wedjat π“‚€. Cartouches showing the names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ of Mutemwia π“π“…π“…“π“Šž and Amenhotep III π“‡³π“§π“Ž  are also inscribed on the boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž. 

Mutemwia π“π“…π“…“π“Šž held many titles such as the β€œGreat King’s Wife His Beloved π“‡“π“π“π“ˆžπ“…©π“‚‹π“π“ˆ˜π“†‘,” β€œLady of the Two Lands π“Ž›π“Œπ“π“‡Ώπ“‡Ώ,” β€œGod’s Mother π“ŠΉπ“…,” and β€œKing’s Mother 𓇓𓅐.” The latter two titles mean the same thing – since the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 (Amenhotep III π“‡³π“§π“Ž ) was a god π“ŠΉ on Earth 𓇾𓇾. 

Something interesting though that these titles listed above were only used after the death of Thutmosis IV 𓇳𓏠𓆣𓏼. It seems that Amenhotep III π“‡³π“§π“Ž  elevated his mother’s 𓅐𓏏𓁐 status when he became the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. In the Luxor Temple, Mutemwia π“π“…π“…“π“Šž is depicted in the reliefs of the divine birth of Amenhotep III π“‡³π“§π“Ž  – and these reliefs are almost an exact copy of the ones from the divine birth of Hatshepsut π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ŽΉπ“π“„‚π“π“€Όπ“ͺ at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦π“₯𓉐. 

The boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž is made of the rock π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™ granodiorite, which is an igneous (volcanic) rock π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™ that is kind of the mix of both granite π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“ˆ–π“Œ³π“Ώ and diorite. Granodiorite is an intrusive rock, meaning it formed underground, which also makes it a very strong and durable piece of material!