My Nonnoโs favorite non-Royal ancient Egyptian has always been Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ. While I have seen Paserโs ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ in other museums, it was always so difficult to find the one that is at the MET because it is hidden amongst other ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ in one of the smaller galleries! But yesterday I FINALLY saw it! I was so excited because Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ meant so much to my Nonno!!
The blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ belongs to Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ! Objects made of faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ were thought to hold magical ๐๐๐ฟ๐ powers! The ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ served as substitutes for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐. They are usually inscribed with spells which are specific to a certain task!
Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ was one of the most prominent men of his time and he served under two ๐ป pharaohs ๐๐ป – Seti I ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ and then Rameses II ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐. Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ served many different roles over twenty-five ๐๐๐พ years! He was vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ and one of his most famous works is the tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ of Seti I ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ in the Valley of the Kings! A vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ was the highest ranking official ๐ด๐๐ and was the most powerful position in the government, besides the pharaoh ๐๐ป.
Not only was the vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ the most trusted advisor to the pharaoh ๐๐ป, but he also saw to the day-to-day operations of the government. The vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ was in charge of architecture, taxation, agriculture, military, judicial, financial, and many other things. Honestly that sounds exhausting ๐!
Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ had many different titles, including โHigh Preist of Amun,โ โsuperintendent of every work of the king,โ and โchief of secrets of the hieroglyphs.โ
