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Egyptian Artifacts

Unconventional Limestone Stela

This is a very unconventional limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ, and it is from the Ptolemaic Period (2nd-1st century B.C.E.).

From the top, the piece starts of pretty normally – with the sun disk 𓇳𓏺 and curved wings representing heaven π“Šͺ𓏏𓇯, the two 𓏻 cobras representing Nekhbet π“‡‘π“ƒ€π“π“…π“ŽŸ and Wadjet π“‡…π“‡Œπ“π“†˜, and the two 𓏻 jackals π“Šƒπ“„Ώπ“ƒ€π“ƒ₯𓏦 facing each other. The two 𓏻 jackals π“Šƒπ“„Ώπ“ƒ€π“ƒ₯𓏦 are sitting on a horizontal line, which is another artistic representation of heaven π“Šͺ𓏏𓇯.

Traditionally, the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 is usually shown making offerings to the god Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­, while Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ accompanied him. However, that is not happening here! The deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱, a man named Pakhaas is shown sitting and receiving offerings from his son π“…­ Pakhy while the deceased’s 𓅓𓏏𓏱 wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐 Nesihor, is shown standing behind him holding a sistrum π“Šƒπ“ˆ™π“ˆ™π“π“£. Pakhaas and his son π“…­ are separated by an offering table 𓂝𓃀𓅑𓄿𓋃, and Pakhaas has a tiny Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ sitting in his lap – this could mean that Pakhaas has effectively become Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­. This means that Pakhy is Horus π“…ƒπ“€­ making offerings to his dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 father 𓇋𓏏𓀀, while Nesihor is Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯. So this family has effectively become the very popular Egyptian triad.

The red π“‚§π“ˆ™π“‚‹π“…Ÿ and green 𓇅𓄿𓆓𓏛 paint can still be seen on the stela, whole the blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸π“₯ paint is no longer visible. Red π“‚§π“ˆ™π“‚‹π“…Ÿ and green tend to last longer than blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸π“₯!