This tiny ๐๐๐ด๐ ฉ ivory chair ๐๐จ๐๐ฑ probably held a tiny ๐๐๐ด๐ ฉ statue ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ at one point! This chair ๐๐จ๐๐ฑ is only about 5cm in height so it is very tiny! The amount of detail that the artist was able to carve into such a small piece is incredible!
On the back of the chair ๐๐จ๐๐ฑ, Akhenatenโs nomen (birth name) and prenomen (throne name) are carved underneath the rays of the Aten ๐๐๐๐ณ. Letโs break down the names ๐๐๐ฆ!
๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ – Akhenaten โLiving Spirit of the Atenโ – this is his โbirth nameโ – though not really because Akhenaten changed his name to Akhenaten from Amenhotep IVย ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐น๐พ๐!ย
๐ณ๐ค๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ก๐ – Neferkheperrua โThe Beautiful One of the Manifestations of Raโ is the throne name, which was probably taken when he was still calling himself Amenhotep IV ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐น๐พ, since the name ๐๐ contains โRa ๐ณโ and not โAten ๐๐๐๐ณ.โ
๐ โ this symbol on the back of the chair ๐๐จ๐๐ฑ is a combination of many different things! Most prominently, it is thought to be representative of the lungs ๐๐ด๐ฅ๐ ฑ๐บ and the windpipe ๐ฅ. The lungs ๐๐ด๐ฅ๐ ฑ๐บ are a symbol of Upper Egypt ๐ and the windpipe ๐ฅ was a symbol of Lower Egypt ๐ค. Just like how the lungs ๐๐ด๐ฅ๐ ฑ๐บ and the windpipe ๐ฅ need to work together in order for a person to survive, Upper ๐ and Lower ๐ค Egypt needed to be unified in order for Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐ to be a strong country!
The lung ๐๐ด๐ฅ๐ ฑ๐บ and windpipe ๐ฅ design ๐ was usually found on objects that belonged to the pharaoh ๐๐ป.
The three ๐ผ men ๐๐๐ฆ on the side of the chair ๐๐จ๐๐ฑ represent foreigners – a Libyan, an Asiatic, and a Nubian all of which are kneeling and raising their arms in a worshipping ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ข stance.