Small Statue of Ptah

Although tiny (only about 5cm in height), this is a striking lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧 statuette of the creator god 𓊹 Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱. Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 is easily recognized, and I always called him the “bald god” as a kid even though he isn’t necessarily bald – he is wearing a cap on his head! Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 has always been a favorite of mine because he is so fascinating!

Lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧 is a very hard 𓄇𓏏𓂝𓏭 stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪 and is very difficult to work with, so that only makes the very tiny details such as the beard 𓐍𓃀𓊃𓅱𓏏 (the only god 𓊹 to be consistently depicted with one) and the broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 even more impressive! Although it’s hard to see, the staff that Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 is holding in his hands is actually a merging of the Djed Pillar 𓊽 and the Was Scepter 𓌀. The hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 for Djed 𓊽 means “stability” while the hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 for the Was Scepter 𓌀 means “strength.”

Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 was not created; he existed before anyone else and anything. In short, he was the creator of the other creator gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹, like Atum 𓇋𓏏𓂟𓀭. Due to Ptah’s 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 creativity, he is also the designated god 𓊹 of all forms of craftsman such as carpenters , shipbuilders, potters, metalworkers, and sculptors. Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪, the famous architect of the Step Pyramid (the first pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 built in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖) is said to be the direct son 𓅭 of Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 due to his incredible work! There is so much I can say about Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱, but Instagram captions can only be so long!

This piece is estimated to be from the Third Intermediate Period – early Dynasty 26 (c. 945–600 B.C.E.). Since it is such a high quality piece, it is most likely that it was meant for use in Ptah’s 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 large temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖(Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 was the chief god 𓊹 of Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖). Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 was worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀢 at Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 from the Old Kingdom forward.