Itβs time for another book π πππ review!
This book π πππ on Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ is one of my absolute favorites that I have in my collection! My Nonno brought it for me in 2006 when we went to the βHatshepsut From Queen to Pharaohβ exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art! The book not only details the exhibition, but gives a lot of information about Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ!
The MET has a beautiful π€ collection of artifacts from Hatshepsutβs ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ reign, and this book does an incredible job of highlighting these important objects.
While the book is out of print, you can get it used online or you can get it as a PDF from the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Publications website! The MET has a great program that provides free PDFs for their out of print books! I have gotten amazing books through their program – you should check it out!
I hope you enjoy and love this book as much as I do!
I love ancient Egyptian jewelry πππ’ – especially the beads π΄π π§ππ―πΈπ¦! One of the reasons I love it so much are the bright and beautiful π€ππ colors! It always amazes me how these beautiful π€ππ colors are probably just as bright today ππππ³ as they were thousands πΌπΌπΌ of years ago!Β
An ancient Egyptian necklace that is displayed how it was found – just the beads, no string! These beads are dated to the reign of Amenhotep III (18th Dynasty) and are at the MET.
Fun fact: most of the necklaces πππ ±ππ¦ that are displayed in museums have been re-strung because over time, the fine threading used to actually string the beads π΄π π§ππ―πΈπ¦ together decomposes or disintegrates, and just leaves the beads π΄π π§ππ―πΈπ¦ behind until they are found by archaeologists!
These beads π΄π π§ππ―πΈπ¦ have not been restrung into a necklace πππ ±π, instead they are displayed as they were found. I honestly donβt know which way I like better; the reconstructed necklaces πππ ±ππ¦ that are restrung, or the necklaces πππ ±ππ¦ displayed such as these!
These beads π΄π π§ππ―πΈπ¦ were found at Amenhotep IIIβs ππ ππ΅πΎπ palace at Malqata and are dated to his reign πΎππ. The House of Rejoicing (the name of his palace) and the surrounding villages at Malqata were preserved really well, and it is considered to be one of the most best town sites preserved in Egypt ππ ππ.
Letsβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ! See if you can spot this on the tiles/inlays on the top of the picture ππ ±π!
π³π§π – Nebmaatra (throne name for Amenhotep III)
π π³ – Son of Ra
Do you like ancient Egyptian jewelry πππ’? Let me know your favorite type!!Β
This beautiful π€ππ raised relief is part of a much larger tomb chapel π»π΄π that is on display at the MET. This tomb chapel π»π΄π belonged to a man named ππ Raemkai, however, it was originally built for someone else! This was originally built for an official named ππ Neferiretnes, and he either fell out of favor or his family π ππ ±ππππ¦ could no longer care for the tomb ππ«ππ so it was then repurposed for Raemkai!
These two women are personifications of various cities, as indicated by the hieroglyphs which accompany the images. This raised relief is from the tomb chapel of Raemkai at the MET.
The tomb chapel π»π΄π is where family π ππ ±ππππ¦ members of the deceased π ππ± would leave offerings for their loved ones. This tomb chapel π»π΄π also typically contains a False Door. False Doors served as ways for the living relatives to make offerings π΅ππͺπππ¦ to the deceased π ππ±. The False Door acted as a link between the land of the living and the land of the dead.
This particular relief is from the east ππππ wall of the tomb chapel π»π΄π which shows a total of twenty-two πππ» women ππππππͺ carrying baskets of various goods on their heads. These woman are not servants, which can be inferred by the sophisticated types of jewelry πππ’ they are wearing: broad collars π ±π΄ππΊππ¦, bracelets ππ πππππͺ, anklets, and even very fancy wigs πΏπππΈπ¦!
These twenty-two πππ» women ππππππͺ are actually personifications of various places; both Egyptian and foreign. The hieroglyphs πΉππͺ next to each woman πππππ names the village or estates that they represent! We know that these are names of locations/villages due to the βπβ determinative hieroglyph πΉπ that appears at the end of each word! The βπβ is the determinative for village/city!
I love this tomb chapel π»π΄π, but it is so hard to take good pictures ππ ±ππ¦ due to the lightning!
Today ππππ³ we are going to be looking at a symbol that is used a lot in hieroglyphic writing πππ₯ and inscriptions ππ ±π. There are multiple uses for the βvulture π ,β hieroglyph πΉπ, so letβs get started!Β
The Vulture Hieroglyph in sunken relief, from a sarcophagus at the MET
The βvulture π β hieroglyph πΉπ is usually a triliteral phonogram and represents the sounds βmjt/mwt.β In modern times, we infer that this would be pronounced like βmut.β However, the βvulture π β can also represent the sounds βmtβ or βmjjwtβ as well.
The βvulture π β is also used as a determinative in the word for βvulture πππ ,β and any words that have a root of βnr.β
One of the more popular uses for the βvulture π β is in the word for βmother.β There are multiple variants for βmotherβ in Middle Egyptian/hieroglyphs πΉππͺ, so letβs take a look:
π ππ
π πππ
π π
π π π
π ππ
π πππ
All of these words would be pronounced like “mut,” despite the fact that some have differing symbols! However, even with spelling differences, all of the symbols will still write out “mut!”
The word for βmotherβ also appears in royal titles:
ππ – Kingβs Mother
π ππΉ – Godβs Mother (can be in reference to the mother of the pharaoh ππ», or to the goddess πΉπ Isis π¨ππ₯)
The word for βmotherβ also appears in names πππ¦:
πΌπ ππ – Duamutef (jackal headed Son of Horus that guarded the stomach. His name ππ means βHe Who Worships His Mother.β)
π’ππ / π’ππ πΌ – Senemut (Hatshepsutβs most trusted advisor. His name means βMotherβs Brother.β)
For some reason when I am writing hieroglyphs πΉππͺ myself, I sometimes get the βvulture π β and the βEgyptian vulture πΏβ mixed up! A lot of the bird symbols look similar, which I why I think that happens to me!
The image ππ ±π of Isis π¨ππ₯ feeding Horus π π as a baby is one of the most popular images ππ ±ππ¦ of the Third Intermediate Period, Late Period and even through the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods. This video examines the significance of the statues of Isis π¨ππ₯ feeding Horus π π!
While my Nonno loved Egyptian ππππ and Roman art, he also loved Christian/Biblical art, so these Egyptian ππππ statues ππ ±ππΎπͺ were kind of a natural connection between his area of interests! I always make sure to look for statues ππ ±ππΎπͺ like this in museums whenever I visit!
Symbolically, Isis π¨ππ₯ was thought to be the mother πΏππ of the pharaoh ππ», and was often associated with motherhood, the protection of women πππππ, and a user of magic πππΏπ. As Isis π¨ππ₯ became a more popular religious figure, she was associated with cosmological order and was considered to be the embodiment of fate by the Romans. Isis π¨ππ₯ was widely worshipped during the Roman times, and Isis π¨ππ₯ feeding Horus π π as a baby has even appeared on the back of Roman coins.
This image ππ ±π of a mother πΏππ holding a child πππ is thought to have inspired the well known Catholic images of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus as a baby.
Yesterday π΄ππ³ was International Womens Day and I didnβt get a chance to post, so I am going to post today ππππ³! This picture ππ ±π is ten years π old (itβs from 2013) and of course itβs me and Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ at the MET! This gallery looks a little bit different now and the Maned Sphinx ππ ±ππ€ of Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ is no longer with the White Limestone ππππ Statue ππ ±ππΎ of Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ! Not going to lie, but I love seeing these two π» together ππ and I miss the old Gallery 115 setup!Β
Me and the Maned Sphinx of Hatshepsut (left) and the White Limestone Statue of Hatshepsut (right)
Letβs learn a bit more about my favorite pharaoh ππ», the legendary Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ!Β Not only was she the most successful female pharaoh ππ» in Egyptian history, she was just one of the most successful pharaohs ππ»π₯ ever!
Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ was the first pharaoh ππ» to state her divine conception and birth π through images ππ ±ππ¦ and text πππ₯ at her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri π¦ππ¦π₯π. Hatshepsutβs ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ story shows that the god πΉ Amun ππ ππ was her father, and this reinforced her right to rule πππΎ. These images ππ ±ππ¦ were not available to the public, but only to a select few such as priests πΉππͺ and officials π΄πππͺ so it probably wasnβt propaganda.
What caused Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ to want to claim herself as pharaoh ππ»? We will probably never know the events that caused this to happen, so anything written by Egyptologists is mostly speculative. Whatever the reasoning, Iβm glad that she did become pharaoh ππ» because Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ has been my inspiration ever since I was a little girl and my Nonno taught me about her for the first π time! Iβll never forget learning that a woman πππππ was the pharaoh ππ» of Egypt ππ ππ! Seeing these statues ππ ±ππΎπͺ in the museum give me joy each time!
In order to celebrate his Heb Sed Festival πππ΄π§ππ±π³πͺ, the pharaoh ππ» Amenhotep III π³π§π built a new palace ππππ₯π which was referred to as βThe House of Rejoicingβ at present day Malqata in Egypt ππ ππ. The Heb Sed Festival πππ΄π§ππ±π³πͺ, also known as the β30 Year Jubilee,β was meant to celebrate the 30th year of a pharaohβs ππ» reign πΎππ. Amenhotep III ππ ππ΅πΎπ threw himself three separate Heb Sed Festivals πππ΄π§ππ±π³πͺ, even though he did not rule πΎππ for ninety years!Β
The blue faience tiles were found at Malqata, but this design is a reconstruction of what it might have looked like (the MET)
This beautiful π€ππ decoration is a reconstruction using the tiles that were found during the excavation of Amenhotep IIIβs ππ ππ΅πΎπ palace at Malqata. These strikingly blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ faience π£πππΈπΌ tiles were found on the floor of ruins of a temple πππ dedicated to the god πΉ Amun ππ ππ.
After the death of pharaoh ππ» Amenhotep III π³π§π , his palace ππππ₯π and the surrounding villages (used by the people serving the pharaoh ππ») at Malqata were abandoned and the site was never used again during ancient Egyptian times. This caused the site to fall into ruin and get covered by the desert π πππ sand. This allowed The House of Rejoicing and surrounding villages at Malqata to be preserved decently well, and it is considered to be one of the most extensive town sites to be preserved in Egypt ππ ππ.
Many examples of these blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ faience π£πππΈπΌ tiles have been found at Malqata, along with other beautiful π€ππ artwork that decorated the palace ππππ₯π! It must have been such a beautiful sight to see!
π€πππ ±πππ – How beautiful this is! Letβs take a closer look at these beautiful π€ππ beaded necklacesΒ πππ’πͺ from Amarna πππππππ!Β
Beaded Necklaces from Amarna (the MET)
There are many different styles of beads, and I just love how striking the colors are! On these necklaces πππ’π¦, the bright yellow beads are in the form of a Uraeus πππππ. A Uraeus πππππ is usually depicted as an upright snake πππππ and is a symbol of sovereignty, royalty, and divine authority in Egypt ππ ππ. The Uraeus πππππ is usually associated with the pharaoh ππ», but in the later time periods also worn by women ππππππͺ and certain deities πΉπΉπΉ.
The reddish/brown colored beads are in the shape of a fly ππππ¦! Flies ππππ¦πͺ were seen as an amulet ππͺπ of protection and were possibly used to protect the wearer from insect bites. I love the fly ππππ¦ beads/amulets ππͺπ π¦!Β
Beaded Necklaces from Amarna (the MET)
There are so many ways to say βnecklaceβ in Middle Egyptian, so letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ! Here are some different ways to say βnecklaceβ:
π ±π΄ππΊπ broad collar
π ππππ§ necklace (menat)
ππ²ππ² necklace, collar
πππ’ jewelry, necklace (with stone beads)
πππ ±π necklace
ππ ±π necklace
I chose to use βπππ’β when writing out this description because this word (pronounced like βatβ) is the word specifically for a necklace πππ ±π that has stone beads ππππͺ! I figured that was a pretty close description to the artifacts in this display! The Menat π ππππ§ and the broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ are very specific types of necklaces and neither of them are shown in this picture ππ ±π!
Today ππππ³ we are going to look at a symbol known as the Tyet Knot π¬ or the Isis Knot π¬!Β
The Tyet Knot drawn in the Book of the Dead of Imhotep (the MET)
This particular Tyet Knot π¬ is from the Book of the Dead of ππππ»π πππ²π³πΊπΌπΊ Imhotep at the MET! Even though this Book of the Dead ππππ»π πππ²π³πΊπΌπΊ is from the Ptolemaic Period, the origin of the Tyet Knot π¬ from the First Dynasty/Early Dynastic Period! It always amazes me how the same religious symbols just persisted through Egyptian history!
The Tyet Knot π¬, also known as the Isis knot π¬, was considered a very strong symbol of protection π ππ‘π and came to be associated with Isis π¨ππ₯. The Egyptians πππππͺ believed that knots π¬ were able to bind and then release magic πππΏπ. The Isis Knots π¬ were also mostly used in a funerary context, such as amulets ππͺπ π¦ (starting in the New Kingdom) placed on mummies ππΉπ ±πΎπͺ or as part of spells ππππ¦ in the Book of the Dead ππππ»π πππ²π³πΊπΌπΊ.
In chapter 156 of the Book of the Dead ππππ»π πππ²π³πΊπΌπΊ, it states that the Tyet Knot π¬ amulet ππͺπ should be made of red π§πππ jasper and placed on the neck of the mummy ππΉπ ±πΎ! The spell states that the Tyet Knot π¬ amulet ππͺπ βwill drive away whoever would commit a crime against him.β
Letβs take a look at the hieroglyphic meaning! Called the βtie π¬β by Gardiner, this symbol is an ideogram for βTyet Knot π¬β or βIsis Knot π¬β and is associated with the sound βtjtβ which would be pronounced like βtyet.β
