Imhotep Statues at the Louvre

I love 𓈘𓏏 seeing Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 in museums, and I am so lucky to have been able to see so many beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 in museums around the world with my Nonno! Due to my Nonno’s enthusiasm, it’s not just me that loves Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪, but the whole family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 loves 𓈘𓏏 these statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 too and can point them out immediately! Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 is always depicted as a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 seated in a chair, usually with a piece of papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 in his lap, so he is quite easy to spot once you know what to look for!

These Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 are at the Louvre, and are dated to the Ptolemaic Period, which is when Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 was widely worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀢 as a god 𓊹, especially by the Greeks. Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 was one of the few non-royal Egyptians to be deified. During his lifetime (two thousand 𓆼𓆼 years before the Ptolemaic Period), Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 is credited with designing the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Djoser’s 𓂦 Step Pyramid (the first ever pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴) at Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖.

The larger of these statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 is interesting because it is made of graywacke 𓁷𓂋𓃀𓐍𓈖 stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪 instead of bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦! Most Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 are made out of bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦, so it was so cool to see Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 depicted in a different medium (plus I love rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦). There is also some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on the papyrus scroll 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 on Imhotep’s 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 lap, and while I can’t read them all because it’s hard to see, one part says “For the Soul of Imhotep 𓈖𓂓𓈖𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪.” 

What I love 𓈘𓏏 about the smaller 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is that there is an inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the base! It’s a little hard to see, but Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 – Imhotep (his name 𓂋𓈖translates to “He Who Comes in Peace.”)

𓏙 – Given

𓋹 – Life

𓅱𓍑 – Prosperity/Wellbeing