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Egyptian Artifacts

“Royal and Divine Triad”

Triads (groups of three 𓏼) were popular among ancient Egyptian statuary and mythology. This piece from the Louvre is called the β€œRoyal and Divine Triad” (Dynasty 19, New Kingdom c. 1279-1203 B.C.E.) because it represents three 𓏼 of the most powerful figures in the Egyptian pantheon. Rameses II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“‡³π“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ or his son π“…­ Merenptah π“‡³π“ƒ’π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ is on the left, Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ is in the middle, while Horus π“…ƒπ“€­ is on the right. The pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was viewed as a god π“ŠΉ on Earth, Horus π“…ƒπ“€­ was the king of the gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ, and Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ was lord π“ŽŸ of the afterlife.

I find this piece super interesting because the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 kind of inserted himself amongst the most famous of the Egyptian triads – Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯, Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ and Horus π“…ƒπ“€­ – who were supposed to represent the divine family (mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐, father 𓇋𓏏𓀀, and child π“π“‡Œπ“€•). In some instances (like with this statue), the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 would function as the child in the statue.

Not all triads represented families, though that was the most common. Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“±, Sekhmet π“Œ‚π“π“…“π“π“, and Nefertem 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯 was a family triad that was extremely popular in Memphis. During the New Kingdom (around the time of Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“), the triad of Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–, Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛, and Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± became very popular due to the powerful nature of these three 𓏼 deities