Let’s read some Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!
Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at a really cool vase 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 that is on display at the Brooklyn Museum! The museum has named this piece “Inscribed Funerary Vessel Painted to Imitate Stone” and I just love that because it is such a great description of the piece!
I believe that the rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 that this vase 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 is supposed to be imitating breccia, which is a sedimentary rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 commonly found in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 and was primarily used for pottery and stoneware during the early dynastic period and Old Kingdom!
We know that this piece is a funerary vase because of the inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 that is on it! Starting an inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 with “Revered before *name of god*” is a very common way to begin funerary inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥!
Let’s take a closer look:
𓄪𓐍𓇌 – Revered
𓐍𓂋 – Before
𓁹𓊩𓀭 – Osiris
𓃂𓈖 – Wab Priest (can also be written as 𓃂𓈗 or 𓃂)
𓇋𓏠𓈖 – Amun
All together, the inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 reads “Revered Before Osiris, the Wab Priest of Amun…” – then I can’t see the rest of it!
In ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, the Wab Priest 𓃂𓈖 was the most common type of priest and they performed the tasks of maintaining the temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏪 and could be placed in charge of funerals. This was considered to be the lowest class of priests. The Middle Egyptian word, “God’s Servant 𓊹𓍛” usually referred to the High Priests.
This piece is dated to the late 18th – early 19th dynasties!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.