Tag: the met

Early Dynastic Animal Statuettes

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date January 19, 2023

We are going back to the Early Dynastic Period today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳! I love anything to do with Egyptian hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦!!!

This calcite 𓍱 hippopotamus 𓌉𓏏𓃯 and faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌 are dated c. 3100–2649 B.C.E and are from Abydos 𓍋𓃀𓈋𓊖. The hippopotamus 𓌉𓏏𓃯 figure was found near a shrine 𓐍𓊃𓅓𓂜𓉐 and was most likely an offering 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 to the deity 𓊹 Khentiamentiu 𓃢𓏃𓏠𓄿.

Khentiamentiu 𓃢𓏃𓏠𓄿 is an early jackal 𓊃𓄿𓃀𓃥 headed deity 𓊹 whose name 𓂋𓈖 means “Foremost of the Westerners.” We know that phrase because later on it was commonly used as a title of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓁢 before it then became Osiris’ 𓁹𓊨𓀭 title! Before the popularity of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓁢 was the chief god 𓊹 of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱, which is why it was his title first! The temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Abydos 𓍋𓃀𓈋𓊖 which was originally dedicated to Khentiamentiu 𓃢𓏃𓏠𓄿 then solely became dedicated to Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 during the First Intermediate Period.

Hippopotamuses 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 and crocodiles 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌𓏦 were both feared and revered along the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 because while they were very dangerous animals, little figurines like these (and then later on, amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪) could offer protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 to the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 or the living 𓆣𓂋𓀀𓏪. This is why hippopotamuses 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 and crocodiles 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌𓏦 are very common to see in early Egyptian art! The hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 is also seen as a symbol of fertility.

Tags artifact, gods and goddesses, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs Video

Video – The Goddess Hathor in Hieroglyphs!

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date January 16, 2023

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

This is the name 𓂋𓈖 of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Hathor 𓉡 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! I’m sure you can see this, but Hathor’s 𓉡 name 𓂋𓈖 is unique compared to that of the other deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹! This is because her name is written with a composite hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃! A composite hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 is the combination of many symbols into one symbol! Even with the combination of the symbols, the sounds of the original symbol are still retained!

Hathor’s 𓉡 name 𓂋𓈖 is the combination of an enclosure (house) 𓉗 and the falcon 𓅃.

𓉗 +𓅃 = 𓉡

Het (𓉗) + Heru (𓅃) = 𓉡

If the two 𓏻 symbols were written separately, we would actually read Hathor’s 𓉡 name 𓂋𓈖 as “House of Horus” or “Estate of Horus” (depending on how you translated the 𓉗 hieroglyph) – so that is the literal translation of her name 𓂋𓈖!

Tags gods and goddesses, hathor, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, the met, video

Egyptian Artifacts

Aswan Granite

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date January 13, 2023

After limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 and sandstone 𓂋𓅱𓂧𓏏𓌗𓈙, “Aswan Granite” was the third most used rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 by the ancient Egyptians! “Aswan Granite” is actually a collective term used to describe all of the intrusive igneous rocks in the Aswan 𓋴𓃹𓈖𓏌𓏲𓊖 area, even though they aren’t all granitic! Diorite and granodiorite 𓏠𓈖𓏏𓏏𓊌 are other igneous rocks looped into this category, even though granite 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓈖𓌳𓍿 is a felsic rock (lighter in color and lower in density with more quartz 𓏠𓈖𓏌𓈙) as opposed to diorite/granodiorite 𓏠𓈖𓏏𓏏𓊌 (intermediate rock, less quartz 𓏠𓈖𓏌𓈙, both dark and light in color).

The most common of the “Aswan Granite” rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦 is known as red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶. Red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 was used for many different types of things such as vases, statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪, sarcophagi 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭𓏪, stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏦, obelisks 𓉶𓉶𓉶, and for parts of buildings and temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏪!

Quarrying of the “Aswan Granite” started in the Old Kingdom and was even used to build the Pyramids 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 at Giza! During the New Kingdom (particularly 18th Dynasty), red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 became extremely popular again, especially amongst the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏪 and many of them had their statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 and funerary equipment 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭 carved out of this durable stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪!

One of the best examples of these red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 are the ones that used to line Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 temple at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐. She had the red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 shipped 500 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲 miles up the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 from Aswan 𓋴𓃹𓈖𓏌𓏲𓊖 to the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐!

The ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 were such master geologists they even distinguished regular “granite 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓈖𓌳𓍿” from “red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶” in the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! The picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 below is a close up of a sample red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 from my collection so you can get a better look at this gorgeous 𓄤 rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙!

Tags artifact, geology, hatshepsut, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs Video

Video – Let’s read some Hieroglyphs!

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date January 9, 2023

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

This inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 comes from the false door of a man named Mery (4th Dynasty/Old Kingdom), however the inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 is about his wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐 Niankhwadjet 𓈖𓇅𓏏𓋹.

Right Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 Column:

𓇓𓂋𓐍𓏏 – King’s Acquaintance

𓉡 – Hathor

𓊹𓍛 – Priest [Priestess in this case] (literally “God’s Servant”)

All together, this inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 would read “The King’s Acquaintance, Priestess of Hathor…” The title “King’s Acquaintance 𓇓𓂋𓐍𓏏“ is taken to mean that the person was close to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻!

Left Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 Column:

𓎟 – Possessor

𓌳𓐍𓄪 – Reverence

𓈖𓇅𓏏𓋹 – Niankhwadjet

“Possessor of Reverence, Niankhwadjet.”

Let’s put it all together!

𓇓𓂋𓐍𓏏𓉡𓊹𓍛𓎟𓌳𓐍𓄪𓈖𓇅𓏏𓋹

“The King’s Acquaintance, Priestess of Hathor, Possessor of Reverence, Niankhwadjet.”

Here is my past post (with photographs) on this beautiful piece!

Tags hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, the met, video

Reading Hieroglyphs

The “King’s Acquaintance”

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date January 5, 2023

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at a Title that appears 𓈍 on statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 and in funerary inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥. The title of “𓇓𓂋𓐍𓏏 – King’s Acquaintance” is used to denote people who were close to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and can be written in two ways:

𓇓𓂋𓐍𓏏 – if the person was female

𓇓𓏏𓂋𓐍 – if the person was male

In the case of this inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥, which was for a female, King’s Acquaintance 𓇓𓂋𓐍𓏏 is written in the female form of the word! The Title has also been translated as “Gentlewoman,” and “Court Lady,” while the male version (𓇓𓏏𓂋𓐍) can also be translated as “Custodian of the King’s Property.”

Let’s take a closer look at the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 that make up this title!

The “Sedge 𓇓” symbol is one of the most common hieroglyphs you will see in inscriptions! It functions as a biliteral phonogram and is associated with the sound “sw.” Most commonly, the symbol is used as an ideogram for the word “King,” which is associated with the sound “nswt.” In this case of this title, the sedge is functioning as an ideogram!

The “placenta or sieve 𓐍” symbol is a uniliteral phonogram and is associated with the sound “ḫ.” This symbol is actually considered “unclassified” because Egyptologists actually don’t know what it exactly represents!

The “mouth 𓂋” symbol functions most commonly as a uniliteral phonogram and is used to represent the sound “r.” It can also be used as an ideogram for the word “mouth 𓂋𓏺.”

The “flat loaf of bread 𓏏” is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound “t.” It also functions as the ideogram for the word “bread 𓏏𓏺” and can be used to make words feminine when placed at the end of the word!

Tags hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

First Dynasty Lion Cub

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date January 2, 2023

How cute is this lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 cub?! Whenever I am at the MET, I always make sure to stop by and see him!

When I was a kid 𓐍𓇌𓀔, I absolutely loved this quartzite statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 cub because it reminded me of Simba from The Lion King! Only the main features of the lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 cub are seen, and none of the features are “sharply defined 𓋴𓊪𓂧𓏚𓏺𓏛,” however, it is clear that this is a statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 of a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 and it is one of my favorite examples of early Egyptian art!

This cute little lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 is from the First Dynasty (c. 3100–2900 B.C.E.)! During the Pre-Dynastic through Early Dynastic periods, statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 of animals were usually smaller in size (amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 size or just a little larger – look above the lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 to see examples) This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 thought is almost like a transition piece towards the larger and grander statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 of the later dynasties. This little lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 was originally found in southern 𓇔𓏏 Upper Egypt 𓇓. I love being able to see the changes in Egyptian art through time!

Geology Time!!! Since quartzite is a very hard stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪, the Egyptians had to learn how to work with and sculpt these types of rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦! Quartz 𓏠𓈖𓏌𓈙, the mineral 𓇋𓌻𓂋𓅱𓈙 quartzite is mostly composed of has a hardness of 7 out of 10 on Moh’s Hardness Scale, which means it is very resistant to being scratched! Quartzite is a metamorphic rock, which means it was originally sandstone 𓂋𓅱𓂧𓏏𓌗𓈙 before it was subjected to intense heat and pressure, which recrystallized it into quartzite. Quartzite is a much stronger and durable rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 than the original sandstone 𓂋𓅱𓂧𓏏𓌗𓈙.

Tags artifact, geology, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs

Stela of Aafenmut

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 31, 2022

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at a wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 that is dated to the Third Intermediate Period (c. 924–889 B.C.E., 22nd Dynasty) which belonged to a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 named Aafenmut 𓉻𓆑𓈖𓏏𓅐𓆇. This stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 shows a typical funerary stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 offering 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 scene, and this style of stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 was very popular during this time period. I love this particular style because it is so colorful! This stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.

The Solar Barge 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 is shown at the top of the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 and the Solar Barge 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 represents Ra’s 𓇳𓏺𓁛 journey across the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯. Ra’s 𓇳𓏺𓁛 journey is supposed to be representative of his birth/resurrection (sunrise), growth (day) and then death (sunset). In between Aafenmut 𓉻𓆑𓈖𓏏𓅐𓆇 and Ra-Horakhty 𓅊𓏔𓏔𓏤 is a table filled with offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 of bread 𓏏𓏐, fruit, and flowers 𓆼𓅱𓆰𓏦.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓅊𓏔𓏔𓏤 – Ra-Horakhty

𓊹𓉼 – Great God

𓎟 – Lord

𓇯 – Sky/Heaven

𓂞 – Give

𓆑 – He

𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓐍𓏛- Offerings

𓐝 – To

𓊩𓁹 – Osiris

𓐝 – To

𓏞 – Scribe

𓏺𓉐𓌉𓏺𓉐 – Treasury

𓉻𓆑𓈖𓏏𓅐𓆇 – Aafenmut

𓐙𓊤 – True of Voice (Justified)

So all 𓎟 together 𓈖𓊗, this inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 reads: “Ra-Horakhty, the Great God, Lord of the Sky/Heaven, may he give offerings to Osiris, to the scribe of the treasury, Aafenmut, True of Voice.”

Tags artifact, gods and goddesses, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, ra horakhty, stela, the met

Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Sphinx of Senwosret III (Part II)

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 30, 2022
1 Comment on Sphinx of Senwosret III (Part II)

Here is a link to Part I!

The Horus Name is one of five 𓏾 ways to write the name 𓂋𓈖 of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, and it is the oldest way to do so. The purpose of the Horus Name was to identify the king 𓇓 as an earthly representation of the god 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭.

The Horus Name consists of three elements: the palace facade 𓊁, Horus the Falcon 𓅃 standing on top of the palace 𓊁, and the name 𓂋𓈖 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 within the palace 𓊁. The palace 𓊁 hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 is pronounced like “serekh” and some Egyptologists are now referring to the Horus Name as the Serekh Name. This was basically the early version of the cartouche!

On the sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 of Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Senwosret III 𓇳𓈍𓂓𓂓𓂓, you can see the Horus name, however, the throne name is also in the serekh! This is unusual to see both names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 in the serekh!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓊹𓆣𓅱 – “Horus, Divine of Form” (Neter-kheperu) (Horus Name)

𓇳𓈍𓂓𓂓𓂓 – “The Souls of Ra have Appeared” (Kha kau ra) (Throne Name)

Something I love about this sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭, is that it is made out of gneiss, which is one of my favorite rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦! Gneiss is a foliated metamorphic rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 which means that it was subjected to such extreme heat and pressure during its formation (probably due to mountain 𓈋𓅳 building or plate tectonics), that the minerals 𓇋𓌻𓂋𓅱𓈙𓏦 have separated into bands of light (felsic) and dark (mafic) colored minerals 𓇋𓌻𓂋𓅱𓈙𓏦! This gives gneiss a natural zebra-like appearance!

Gebel el-Asr is the only quarry 𓎛𓏏𓏏𓉐 in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 where gneiss can be found, and gneiss was prized from the Predynastic to Middle Kingdoms for statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 making!

The following pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏 show a close up of one of my samples of gneiss, so you can see this banding!

Tags artifact, geology, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, senwosret iii, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Sphinx of Senwosret III (Part I)

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 29, 2022
1 Comment on Sphinx of Senwosret III (Part I)

Pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 were commonly represented as sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 in ancient Egyptian art for many reasons. A sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 is a mythical creature that has the body of a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 and the head of a human. In ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, lions 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛𓏪 have been associated with kingship 𓇓𓇌 since prehistoric times due to their strength 𓌀 and ferocity. The sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 was the perfect representation of the strength 𓌀 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 due to its lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 body, while the face still preserved the image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of the king 𓇓 himself.

This magnificent sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 is a representation of the 12th Dynasty Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Senwosret III 𓇳𓈍𓂓𓂓𓂓. Senwosret III 𓇳𓈍𓂓𓂓𓂓 has very distinctive facial features, so he is very easy to spot in Middle Kingdom art. Senwosret III 𓇳𓈍𓂓𓂓𓂓 is wearing the characteristic nemes head cloth 𓈖𓅓𓋴 and false beard 𓐍𓃀𓊃𓅱𓏏𓁸, which are both signs of kingship 𓇓𓇌.

While this is not a professional term, to me, Senwosret III 𓇳𓈍𓂓𓂓𓂓 looks like a “sad and tired old man,” which is how I distinguish him from statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 of other pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦. This depiction of a pharaoh demonstrates how in the Middle Kingdom, some of the art took a more realistic approach, instead of the typical idealistic approach. Usually, pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 and people were shown at their best, not how they actually looked. However, this sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 shows a detachment from idealistic depictions.

This sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 is in a crouching position, which to the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 meant that it was a guardian of a sacred place, such as a temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 or an important building. This is why rows or lines of sphinxes have been found at various temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏪 around Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 – the sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭, and therefore the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, was using his strength 𓌀 and might to protect these sacred places!

Here is a link to Part II!

Tags artifact, senwosret iii, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabti and Miniature Coffin

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 28, 2022

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to take a look at this unique ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 that was discovered in the mortuary temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 of the pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Senwosret I 𓄊𓋴𓂋𓏏𓊃𓈖 (Dynasty 12). This was probably left as some type of offering 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦. The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 and coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 are made out of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 and are covered in gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 leaf.

The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 and coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 contain the name 𓂋𓈖 of Wahneferhotep, who was probably the son 𓅭 of Senwosret I 𓄊𓋴𓂋𓏏𓊃𓈖 due to the title “King’s Son 𓇓𓅭” appearing in the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪. These two 𓏻 objects seen here are the only place where Wahneferhotep’s name 𓂋𓈖appears, so we know nothing about him!

What is so cool about the miniature coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 is that it is so detailed and similar to an actual coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱! The text 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the miniature coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 is inscribed with the same funerary spells as regular sized coffins would be! The eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦 on this side of the coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 would allow the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 (or in this case, the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾) to see outside of it! The ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 was even found covered with linen 𓍱 and laying on its side! This was very typical of Middle Kingdom burial practices 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭, and it was something my Nonno would always point out to me when we were in a museum!

The text 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is a version of the standard “Shabti Spell. This spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛 gives the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 the power to complete tasks (farming, manual labor, etc) for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the Field of Reeds 𓇏𓏏𓈅𓇋𓄿𓂋𓅱𓆰𓊖 so the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 doesn’t have to do any work in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.

Tags artifact, Senwosret I, shabti, the met, ushabti

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories