Tag: the met

Funerary Cones

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date August 12, 2023

I love Gallery 117 at the MET so much! The objects in here may not look like much to the average person (they probably just look like a bunch of rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦), but to me they are a beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 piece in the story of ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖!

Me in Gallery 117 at the MET – the Funerary Cones are in a display behind me!

While not as artistically decorated as most of the artifacts in the Egyptian 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐 collections of museums, these “funerary cones” were always something my Nonno pointed out to me! He thought they were so interesting and now every time I go to museums, I actively seek these out as a way to remember my Nonno! He loved this little gallery at the MET solely because of the funerary cones!

Funerary cones (a modern name given to these objects) are made of clay 𓊪𓈖𓋴𓈇 and usually found at the openings of tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪 at Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖 (almost exclusively). They were used primarily during the 18th Dynasty (though there are examples that date to the 11th Dynasty or as late as the 19th-20th Dynasties).

While the exact usage of the funerary cones is not known, but they are inferred to be architectural decorations, tomb labels, symbolic offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦, or even as passports to the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐! Thousands 𓆼𓆼𓆼 of these cones have been excavated to date! Every museum I have been to has a collection of these funerary cones!

The end of the funerary cone is usually circular in shape and usually contains an inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 with the name of the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 occupant as well as a god 𓊹.

An example inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 that is common on a funerary cone would be something like: “Venerated before Osiris, Son of ____, Name of Deceased.”

𓄪𓐍𓇌 – Venerated

𓐍𓂋 – Before

𓁹𓊨𓀭 – Osiris

𓅭 – Son

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog

Tags artifact, hieroglyphs, the met

Video

Objects from Malqata – Video

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date August 11, 2023

This video shows a gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which displays objects from Malqata!

@ancientegyptblog
In order to celebrate his Heb Sed Festival 𓎛𓃀𓋴𓂧𓏏𓎱𓇳𓏪, the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Amenhotep III 𓇳𓁧𓎠 built a new palace 𓂝𓎛𓏏𓉥𓉐 which was referred to as “The House of Rejoicing” at present day Malqata in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. The Heb Sed Festival 𓎛𓃀𓋴𓂧𓏏𓎱𓇳𓏪, also known as the “30 Year Jubilee,” was meant to celebrate the 30th year of a pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏. In this display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there are many different amphoras 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋𓏪! Amphoras 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋𓏪 are a special type of pottery 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 that have a pointed bottom and two 𓏻 handles that were used for the storage and transport of various things in the ancient world! Ancient Egyptian amphoras 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋𓏪, such as these one found at Malqata, were usually made of red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 clay 𓊪𓈖𓋴𓈇 and then covered with a cream colored coat. They were then painted 𓏞𓏜 with blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥, red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟, or black 𓆎𓅓 paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦. You can also see various wall paintings that once adorned the palace 𓂝𓎛𓏏𓉥𓉐 walls at Malqata! I can’t even imagine how beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 and colorful this palace 𓂝𓎛𓏏𓉥𓉐 once was! I hope you enjoyed seeing these objects from Malqata! This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost. #ancientEgypt #egyptianhistory #egyptianmythology #metropolitanmuseumofart #metmuseum #egyptology #ancientegyptblog #anticoegitto
♬ the fairy – Ophelia Wilde

In order to celebrate his Heb Sed Festival 𓎛𓃀𓋴𓂧𓏏𓎱𓇳𓏪, the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Amenhotep III 𓇳𓁧𓎠 built a new palace 𓂝𓎛𓏏𓉥𓉐 which was referred to as “The House of Rejoicing” at present day Malqata in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. The Heb Sed Festival 𓎛𓃀𓋴𓂧𓏏𓎱𓇳𓏪, also known as the “30 Year Jubilee,” was meant to celebrate the 30th year of a pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏.

In this display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there are many different amphoras 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋𓏪! Amphoras 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋𓏪 are a special type of pottery 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 that have a pointed bottom and two 𓏻 handles that were used for the storage and transport of various things in the ancient world!

Ancient Egyptian amphoras 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋𓏪, such as these one found at Malqata, were usually made of red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 clay 𓊪𓈖𓋴𓈇 and then covered with a cream colored coat. They were then painted 𓏞𓏜 with blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥, red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟, or black 𓆎𓅓 paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦.

You can also see various wall paintings that once adorned the palace 𓂝𓎛𓏏𓉥𓉐 walls at Malqata! I can’t even imagine how beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 and colorful this palace 𓂝𓎛𓏏𓉥𓉐 once was! I hope you enjoyed seeing these objects from Malqata!

This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog

Tags amenhotep iii, artifact, the met, video

Egyptian Artifacts

Bronze Statue of Bastet

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date August 3, 2023

This image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 shows a bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of the beloved 𓌻𓂋𓇌 Egyptian goddess 𓊹𓏏 Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐! This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is dated to the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period (c. 664–30 B.C.E.).

Bronze Statue of Bastet on display at the MET

The goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 were both depicted as cats 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠𓏪, however, Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 usually had the body of a woman 𓂑𓏏𓁐 while Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 usually had the body of a cat 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠. Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 is also usually distinguished from Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 by the sun disc 𓇳𓏺 that usually appears on her head!

However, when Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 was depicted with the body of a woman 𓂑𓏏𓁐 (like in this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾), she was usually holding a sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 in one hand! Since Hathor 𓉡 was usually seen with sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪, this shows a link between the two 𓏻 goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏!

This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 also shows Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 holding a basket 𓂝𓂋𓂝𓂋𓎅 in her elbow/arm (opposite the sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣) and a lion-headed aegis in the same arm. An aegis is an object that has the head of a deity 𓊹 (in this case a lion) with a broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 underneath it! The aegis itself was a protective 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 symbol associated with Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 and was used in rituals and festivals! The basket 𓂝𓂋𓂝𓂋𓎅 is thought to possibly hold kittens, but that is just an inference by historians and Egyptologists!

Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 was the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of pregnancy and childbirth and was considered to be the protective 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 form of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 so it is very fitting for her to be holding the aegis!

Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 and Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 were believed to be the two 𓏻 unpredictable personalities of the same goddess 𓊹𓏏. While Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 represented the destructive and unpredictable side, Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 was the gentler and calmer side.

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog

Tags artifact, bastet, gods and goddesses, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

A Predynastic Safari

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 29, 2023

Let’s go on a Predynastic Safari!

I love art from the Predynastic and Early Dynastic periods because the objects usually contain a lot of animals! This is a “Hair Comb Decorated with Rows of Wild Animals” and it is dated to the Predynastic Period (c. 3200 – 3100 B.C.E.). This piece is made of ivory 𓍋𓃀𓅱𓌟.

While this piece is called “Hair Comb Decorated with Rows of Wild Animals” I like to refer to it as “A Predynastic Safari” since it shows so many different animals!

Archaeologists believe that it is a comb because the remnants of the teeth of the comb can still be seen along the bottom! It is thought that this was some type of ceremonial object and not just a regular comb due to the incredible details on it! I wonder if it was part of a burial?

The animals on this comb are arranged into five 𓏾 rows in raised relief and the incredible details show just how talented the Egyptian artists were even at the beginning of the civilization! It’s also interesting to see each row of animals facing in opposite directions!

The top row shows elephants 𓍋𓃀𓅱𓃰𓏪 standing on top of snakes 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆘𓏪, which suggests some type of religious/cultural symbolism that we don’t know much about! The fact that this is the top row may also have some significance! While seeing snakes 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆘𓏪 is super common in Egyptian art and mythology, elephants 𓍋𓃀𓅱𓃰𓏪 are not so it’s very cool to see a depiction of them!

The second row shows birds (they look like pelicans 𓊪𓋴𓆓𓏏𓅞𓏪 to me) and a giraffe 𓅓𓂝𓅓𓂝𓃱! Giraffes 𓅓𓂝𓅓𓂝𓃱𓏪 are one of my absolute favorite animals and they do not appear often in Egyptian art even though they are native to the African Continent! During the Predynastic times, giraffes 𓅓𓂝𓅓𓂝𓃱𓏪 and the Egyptians did occupy the same areas, however, as the climate became drier, the giraffes 𓅓𓂝𓅓𓂝𓃱𓏪 migrated out of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 which is probably why they do not appear in the art/mythology as often!

The third row shows hyenas 𓅓𓅓𓃡𓏦, the fourth row shows cattle 𓃒𓏦 and the fifth row shows boars 𓂋𓂋𓇋𓃟𓏦!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog

Tags artifact, predynastic, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Thutmosis III – The Greatest Pharaoh?

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 28, 2023

I have a very complex relationship with Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 (this is probably the first time you’ve read that sentence)! Many people will probably not agree with me on this (that’s okay), but I think that Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 was Egypt’s 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 greatest pharaoh 𓉐𓉻! He ruled 𓋾 Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 for 54 𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓏽 years, and was a very accomplished general 𓀎𓏦, having led troops into battle himself. Thutmosis III 𓅝𓄠𓋴 has been rumored to have never lost a battle!

Me with a limestone statue of Thutmosis III – was he the greatest pharaoh?

So why my complex feelings about Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣? It all has to do with Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪! Thutmosis III 𓅝𓄠𓋴 was only three 𓏼 years old when his father Thutmosis II 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓈖 passed away, and was a co-regent with Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 before she completely took over the throne. During her rule 𓋾, Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 was a member of the military and gained valuable experience that allowed him to be such a successful pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. I believe that Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 successful rule set Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 up for his extremely successful reign.

About 25 𓎆𓎆𓏾 years after Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 death, Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 went on a campaign to have her statuary destroyed and her name 𓂋𓈖 taken off of monuments 𓏠𓏍. No one knows why this occurred or the events that lead up to Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 doing this! This is where my complex feelings come in because Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is my absolute favorite pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and I believe that she is also one of the greatest rulers that Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 ever had!

I find this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 to be so beautiful 𓄤 because the white 𓌉𓆓𓇳 limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 (it honestly looks like marble to me – but marble is metamorphosed limestone) contrasts so well with the black 𓆎𓅓 paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 on the nemes 𓈖𓅓𓋴 head cloth and the eyes 𓁹𓏦. Some red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 can even still be seen on the Uraeus 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗 that is on Thutmosis III’s 𓅝𓄠𓋴 forehead!

White Limestone statue of the 18th Dynasty pharaoh Thutmosis III

The face of this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is not the original, it is a cast; the original face is in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo! The MET then made a cast of the torso of the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾, and that is now at the Egyptian Museum as well! So each museum has a real part of the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾, and a cast of the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾! The face and torso of the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 were not found at the same time, hence why they ended up in different places!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog

Tags artifact, the met, thutmosis iii

Reading Hieroglyphs

Horus Name of Rameses II

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 26, 2023

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at the Horus Name for the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Rameses II! The Throne Name (𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖) and the Birth Name (𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓇳𓏺𓄟𓋴𓇓) usually appear more in inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 so let’s take a closer look at the Horus Name!

The Horus Name is the oldest way that a pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 name 𓂋𓈖 was written/identified and is one of five 𓏾 ways to write the name 𓂋𓈖 of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

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 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷!

Rameses II 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓇳𓏺𓄟𓋴𓇓 had a lot of different variations of his Horus Name, so let’s take a look at the two 𓏻 that are pictured!

Two variants of the Horus Name of Rameses II

𓂡𓃒𓁛𓌺 – “Strong Bull, Beloved of Ra”

𓂡𓃒𓁧𓌺 – “Strong Bull, Beloved of Maat”

“Strong Bull 𓂡𓃒“ was a very popular way to start off the Horus Name for male pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 because bulls 𓃒𓃒𓃒 were a symbol of strength 𓌀 and fertility, both of which are qualities that pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 wanted to have!

Let’s break down the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 even further:

𓂡 – Strong

𓃒 – Bull

𓁧/𓁛 – Maat/Ra

𓌺 – Beloved

Both variants of Rameses II’s Horus Name contain the shortened variants of certain words!

𓁧 – Maat (𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧)

𓁛 – Ra (𓇳𓏺𓁛)

𓌺 – Beloved (𓌻𓂋𓇌)

Variants can be tricky for those starting to learn hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, but with practice they become much easier – especially the shortened version of the words!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog

Tags hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, rameses ii, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Hieroglyphs, Cursive Hieroglyphs and Hieratic

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 23, 2023

Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, Cursive Hieroglyphs and Hieratic?! There are so many ways to write the Egyptian Language!

Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, the script everyone is most familiar with, was the first 𓏃 script used by the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 to write their language! There are well over 700 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲 unique hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 and over 800 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲 symbols if you count the variants! Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 were mainly used on temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏥, stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏪, tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏥, obelisks 𓉶𓉶𓉶, other funerary equipment 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭 such as sarcophagi 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭𓏪 and other objects of all kinds!

Then there are Cursive Hieroglyphs which is also known as Hieroglyphic Book Hand! This was usually used on handwritten papyri 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛𓏦 and was a less detailed version of the traditional hieroglyphic symbols. Cursive Hieroglyphs are easy to read because these symbols match their traditional hieroglyphic counterparts!

Hieratic is a script that was used on papyri 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛𓏦 and the symbols do not match their hieroglyphic counterparts! I cannot read Hieratic and I have found it quite difficult to learn! Plus the Hieratic symbols have evolved over time so they have changed a lot which only makes it more difficult!

This picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 is from the Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺 of Imhotep at the MET and it shows Cursive Hieroglyphs (left) and Hieratic (right). I love how both scripts are used because you can really see the difference between the two!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog

Tags artifact, book of the dead, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs

The Cartouches of Augustus

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 23, 2023

This picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 is a look at one of the sunken reliefs on the Temple of Dendur at the MET! This relief shows Emperor Augustus wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt 𓌉𓏏𓋑 standing before Horus 𓅃𓀭.

The Cartouches of Augustus – can you spot all three?

To me, what is most interesting though are the cartouches 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷𓏦 of Augustus! Unlike the Greek rulers of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 that spelled out their names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 using phonogram symbols, Augustus went a different route when having his name 𓂋𓈖 represented in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪. In this image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 you can see all three 𓏼 of his cartouches 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷𓏦:

𓈎𓇌𓊃𓂋𓊃𓋹𓆖 – (Kaisaros)

𓄿𓏲𓏏𓈎𓂋𓏏𓂋 – (Autokrator)

𓉐𓉻𓀀 – (Pharaoh (pr-ˁ3))

“Autokrator” is the Greek word for “Emperor,” “Kaisaros” is the Greek word for “Caesar,” and “pr-ˁ3” is the Middle Egyptian word for “pharaoh.”

In Middle Egyptian the word for pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 literally translates to “Great House.“ This is a direct reference to the palace 𓂝𓎛𓏏𓉥𓉐 where the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 resided during his/her rule.

𓉐 – House (pr)

𓉻 – Great (ˁ3)

The third cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 is the one I have always found so fascinating because it is literally the word for pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 in Middle Egyptian plus the male determinative sign 𓀀. Most names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 (even when spelled out with phonograms) are followed by a determinative for a male 𓀀 person or female 𓁐 person. By choosing to have his name 𓂋𓈖 depicted in this way, Augustus was literally calling himself the Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖!

Augustus chose to have various words for “ruler” as his name 𓂋𓈖 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪. Again, this was probably a way to assert his power as the first Emperor of the Roman Empire. He didn’t want anyone to question his right to rule!

Can you spot three of Augustus’ cartouches in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏?

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog

Tags augustus, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, roman, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabti of Amenhotep III

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 17, 2023

Yesterday 𓋴𓆑𓇳 we looked at a ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 that belonged to Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖, and today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to examine a ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 that belonged to his 𓆑 father 𓇋𓏏𓀀, the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Amenhotep III 𓇳𓁧𓎠!

An ebony wood Ushabti of Amenhotep III on display at the MET

This ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 is made of ebony wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 and has glass 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 inlaid eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦. The inlaid eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦 are a striking blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 and white which make this piece really stand out not only amongst other artifacts, but amongst other ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures too!

This ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 is a typical mummiform piece – the ushabti has its arms crossed over its chest, and at some point was probably holding a holding the crook 𓋾 and flail 𓌅 which have been lost in antiquity. The crown on its head has also been lost, which is a shame. I wonder what the crown would have been made of?

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are wonderfully preserved. The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are carved into the wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺, and then we’re filled with paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦! I love how much the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 stand out against the ebony wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 – I think it’s beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋!

Can you spot Amenhotep III’s birth name (𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓋾𓋆) and throne name (𓇳𓁧𓎠) on the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾? Let me know!!!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog

Tags amenhotep iii, artifact, the met, ushabti

Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabti Figure of Akhenaten

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date July 16, 2023

There are over 200 𓏲𓏲 ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures that belonged to Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖 and some of them are on display at the MET! This particular Ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 Figure of Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖 though broken in half, has a wonderfully preserved face and partial inscription!

Ushabti Figure of Akhenaten on display at the MET

It seems strange that Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖 would be buried with ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 because he completely changed the Egyptian religion from the traditional polytheistic worship 𓇼𓄿𓀢 to the monotheistic worship 𓇼𓄿𓀢 of the Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳. This shows that while he did completely change Egypt’s 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 religion, some aspects of the old religion, such as belief in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐, did remain and persist throughout his rule 𓋾.

Most of Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖 ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 are in various states of disarray. While most ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 contain standard inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 known as the “shabti spell” or “shabti text,” Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖 ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 only contain inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 of his name 𓂋𓈖 and titles. Let’s take a look at the partial inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥!

You can see the inscription of “𓆥,” which as we have learned previously can translate to “He of the Sedge and the Bee” or “King of Upper and Lower Egypt.” As we know, this is a very popular title to be seen before a cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷!

The “𓇳” in the cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 is part of one of Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖 throne names, which would most likely be “𓇳𓄤𓆣𓇳𓏦𓌡𓈖,” since that is the only one of Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖 throne name 𓂋𓈖 variants that begins with a “𓇳.”

Even though “𓇳𓄤𓆣𓇳𓏦𓌡𓈖” translates to “The Beautiful One of the Manifestations of Ra, the Unique one of Ra,” this variant was only seen after the name 𓂋𓈖 change from Amenhotep IV 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓊹𓋾𓌀 to Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog

Tags akhenaten, artifact, the met, ushabti

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