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Egyptian Artifacts

Wooden Statues of Isis and Nephthys

This post will be about two statues from different museums that are very similar!

This is a wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ of the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 dated from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period. I am always amazed when wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statues are in such great condition – even though the paint is chipping in some places, the statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ still retained much of its original color!

Wooden Statue of Nephthys at the Brooklyn Museum

Along with her sister π“Œ’π“ˆ–π“ Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯, Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 was a protector π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ of the dead and this statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ was most likely used for funerary purposes. The crown on her head is one of the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ that is used in her name (𓉠), which makes Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 very easy to identify in tomb art/funerary art. Her hand/arm 𓂝𓏺 is raised in what is thought to me a mourning position, and this statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ was most likely placed in a tomb π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰.

Nephthys’ 𓉠𓏏𓆇 title was β€œMistress of the House π“ŽŸπ“π“‰π“Ί.” Her name π“‚‹π“ˆ– could also be written as π“ŽŸπ“π“‰—π“π“’π“―π“†—. The three 𓏼 symbols β€œπ“ŽŸπ“π“‰—β€ can be combined to make the β€œπ“‰ β€ symbol, which is not only the crown, but a space saver when writing out hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

Nephthys’ 𓉠𓏏𓆇 hair is blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸π“₯ because it was supposed to be the same color as lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧! Lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧 is a stone (usually found in modern day Afghanistan) and was considered to be worth more than gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰ by the ancient Egyptians π“†Žπ“π“€€π“π“ͺ because it had to be traded for! Many of the gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ and goddesses π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ were thought to have blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸π“₯ lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧 hair!

This is a wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ of the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ is dated from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period. Once again, this wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statue is in such great condition! When I saw the statue of Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 in the Brooklyn Museum, it immediately reminded me of this statue of Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ at the Louvre!

Wooden Statue of Isis at the Louvre

Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ was a protector π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ of the dead and the wife to Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­. This statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ was most likely used for funerary purposes. Her hands/arms 𓂝𓏦 are raised in what is thought to be a mourning position, and this statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ was most likely placed in a tomb π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰.

The crown on her head is one of the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ that is used in her name (π“Š¨), which makes Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ very easy to identify in tomb art/funerary art. Isis can also be written as π“Š¨π“π“†— or π“„Ώπ“Š¨π“π“₯, but no matter what, the β€œπ“Š¨β€ always appears in her name π“‚‹π“ˆ–!

Much like the statue of Nephthys’ 𓉠𓏏𓆇 from the Brooklyn Museum, Isis’ π“Š¨π“π“₯ hair is blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸π“₯ because it was supposed to be the same color as lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧! Many of the gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ and goddesses π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ were thought to have blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸π“₯ lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧 hair!