Bronze Statues of Sekhmet and Imhotep

This setup at the MET reminded me so much of my Nonno because Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 and Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 were two of his favorite ancient Egyptian figures! Even better, is they these are both bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪; he loved all of the bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 so much! Seeing the two 𓏻 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 next to each other made me miss my Nonno so much.

Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪, meaning “He who comes in peace,” was a non-royal man who became deified. This is a very rare occurrence, as it was thought by the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 that the Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was the only god 𓊹 on the Earth 𓇾𓇾. Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 was not deified in his lifetime – it was 2,000 years after his death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 that he began to be worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀢 as a god 𓊹. Not much is known about Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 from his lifetime – much information about Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 is from Demotic texts or stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏪 that were written thousands 𓆼𓆼𓆼 of years after his death 𓅓𓏏𓏱.

Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 was regarded as the Son 𓅭 of Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱, who was the creator god 𓊹 of craftsmen and architects. He was also part of the “Memphis Triad,” which consisted of Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓀭, Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 and Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪.

Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓏏𓁐 was the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of war, but she is usually pictured with the sun disc 𓇳𓏤 on her head 𓁶𓏤 because she was also associated with the destructive aspects of the sun 𓇳𓏤 – such as the extreme heat of the desert 𓅟𓂋𓏏𓈊! Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓏏𓁐 was one powerful lady, and the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 had many festivals dedicated to her in order to keep her happy!