Tag: the met

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Reading Hieroglyphs

“Qebehsenuef” in Hieroglyphs

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at one of the names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 of one of the Four Sons of Horus! 

Qebehsenuef 𓏂𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑 had the head of a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄, protected 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 the intestines 𓈖𓊪𓅮𓄿𓏲𓏼, and was associated with the West 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊. 

Qebehsenuef can be written as both 𓏂𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑 and 𓏁𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑, and sometimes a determinative was added to the end of the name 𓂋𓈖, which reads like 𓏂𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑𓀭. 

The “water jar with water 𓏁 / 𓏂” symbols are both variants of each other and have the same meaning! These symbols mostly act as determinatives, however in the case of Qebehsenuef the symbols act as a triliteral phonogram with the sound “kbb/qbb” or “kbh/qbh.” 

The “arrowhead 𓌢” is a biliteral phonogram that is associated with the sound “sn.” Since the arrowhead 𓌢 is repeated three times in the name, that pluralizes the symbol and causes it to have the sound “snw.” 

The “horned viper 𓆑” functions as a uniliteral phonogram and represents the sound “f.” In other words, it can function as a determinative. The 𓆑 can be confusing for people learning hieroglyphs because it can also function as the word “he”! There are so many ways that 𓆑 and it takes practice to master them all!

So Qebehsenuef 𓏂𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑 may seem like a difficult name 𓂋𓈖 to pronounce but once you break down the symbols it’s not too bad! How the name 𓂋𓈖 is written with Romanized Letters is very similar to the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Qebehsenuef 𓏂𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑 would would like “Qbh-snu-f.” 

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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

The Cartouche of Pharaoh Nebra

I am standing with the Horus cartouche of the Second Dynasty Pharaoh Nebra 𓎟𓇳 (or Raneb).

Not much is known about Nebra 𓎟𓇳 besides his name, which mostly appears on alabaster bowls and cups. The length of his rule is also not known, since that section of the Turin Canon/Papyrus is destroyed but Egyptologists estimate it to be about 10 𓎆 -14 𓎆𓏽 years.

The name Nebra 𓎟𓇳 (or Raneb) has puzzled Egyptologists because Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 was not a big religious figure during the Second Dynasty. At that time, Horus 𓅃𓀭 was the main deity and Egyptian religion very much centered on the story of Horus 𓅃𓀭 and Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣 and the importance of keeping divine balance. The name Nebra 𓎟𓇳 can also be translated as either “Lord of the sun (Ra)” or “Ra is my lord,” which would show that the sun was already being worshipped separately as its own deity at this time instead of just being part of Horus 𓅃𓀭. The Third Dynasty (around the rule of Djoser 𓂦) is really when evidence of the sun being an independent deity begins to show up in Egyptian society.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Swivel Scarab Rings of Thutmosis III


I am the type of person that loves jewelry, and a lot of the jewelry that I wear is inspired by ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! Rings are my absolute favorite type of jewelry to wear, and I love looking at the jewelry of the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 in museums! I may be biased, but I think that Egyptian jewelry is the most beautiful type of jewelry! The pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 sure knew how to accessorize!

These scarab 𓆣 rings bear the cartouche of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣. Scarab 𓆣 rings like these were extremely popular during the New Kingdom. I love how the different colors of the scarab 𓆣 pair so beautifully with the gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉. Also these are swivel rings, meaning they spin! How cool is that??!!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Scarabs of Hathsepsut and Thutmosis III

Here are some of the scarabs that have both the names of Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓 and Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣.

The three 𓏼 scarabs at the top are inscribed with the cartouche of Thutmosis III, 𓇳𓏠𓆣 while the scarab at the bottom has both of their cartouches. It’s very interesting to see objects with both of their cartouches on it, and these would most likely date from their joint rule before Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓 declared herself as the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

Something that has always been crazy to me is how detailed and beautiful 𓄤 the inscriptions on such small objects can be! I know that the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 used molds to make small objects a lot of the time, but the craftsmanship is incredibly impressive! I’m such a bad artist and have zero artistic talent, so I have so much respect 𓈙𓆑𓄅 for the people who created all of these beautiful works of art that I get to study and admire.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Cow Statue of the Goddess Hathor


I am with a statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of a cow’s 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒 head, which of course is representative of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Hathor 𓉡.

Hathor 𓉡 is one of the most prominent goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 of the Egyptian pantheon. Along with Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, she is regarded as the “divine mother” of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, but is also the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of love, joy, music, and dance – basically the fun things in life! Hathor is also the wife of Horus 𓅃𓀭, and the daughter of Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛. Hathor 𓉡 is usually associated with cows 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒𓏦 and can take the form of a cow 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒 in many forms of Egyptian art.

Fun fact: the words “beautiful woman” and “cow” are super similar in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪- only the determinative at the end is different! They are even pronounced the same (nfrt) Why? Probably because of Hathor 𓉡! I find this hysterical – you probably don’t want to mess these two words up (in English at least 😂). Even my family knows this fact about hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, because I bring it up all the time!!

𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓁐 (beautiful woman)
𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒 (cow)

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Egyptian Artifacts

Sistrum of Hathor

Hathor 𓉡 was the goddess of music, and music has been something that I have loved throughout my entire life. From listening to classic Italian music with my Nonno, to discovering artists myself, music has always been healing to me. I cannot go a day without listening to my favorite artists. Music has not only been essential to my life, but it was also culturally essential in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖!

The piece in the picture is a sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 with Hathor’s 𓉡 head depicted. A sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 was almost like an ancient tambourine or rattle – while the part that makes the music is often not found intact, the handle with Hathor’s 𓉡 face usually is. Sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪 can be found dating back to the Old Kingdom, but most that are found are usually from the Late – Graeco/Roman periods. We don’t know much about the songs that were sung in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 because the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 did not have any form of musical notation, however, archaeologists have been able to replicate various types of instruments based on archaeological findings and try to figure out how they would sound! Musicians were often associated with a temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 or a particular god 𓊹/goddess 𓊹𓏏, and they usually held a decently high place in the social hierarchy.

My absolute favorite artists are No Doubt, Il Volo, BTS, and One Direction! I also listen to a lot of other Italian artists, Broadway cast recordings, and classic rock music! Do you guys have some favorite musicians that you listen to?

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Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of Horemheb

Before Horemheb 𓇳𓂦𓆣𓏼𓇳𓍉𓈖 became the last pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the 18th Dynasty, he was a general under the pharaohs Tutankamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 and Ay 𓇳𓆣𓆣𓏪𓁹𓐙𓏏.

This large statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 (and a second similar one) at the MET would have been placed in a temple – either the temple of Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 at Memphis or the temple of Amun-Ra 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏺𓇳 at Karnak.

It was standard for high officials to show themselves in a seated position with a papyrus scroll 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 on their lap. In the Old Kingdom, the statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 usually showed the official reading, but in the New Kingdom, the statues always showed the official writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥. Horemheb 𓇳𓂦𓆣𓏼𓇳𓍉𓈖 is writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥 a hymn to the god Thoth 𓅤𓀭(who is the god of writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥).

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 around the base of the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 mention Horemheb’s 𓇳𓂦𓆣𓏼𓇳𓍉𓈖 many titles. The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on the “papyrus” 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 that is on Horemheb’s 𓇳𓂦𓆣𓏼𓇳𓍉𓈖 lap can actually be read, but it was so difficult to get a picture𓏏𓅱𓏏/actually read them because I could not get close enough to the statue!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Wooden Statues of Merti and His Wife

These two 𓏻 wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 were something my Nonno always made sure I appreciated when we went to the MET. My Nonno loved the Egyptian pieces that were made out of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 because wood is difficult to preserve. Since wood is organic, in heat and humidity it will break down, especially over thousands of years. He always wanted me to appreciate how well preserved these two 𓏻 wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statues were!

These two 𓏻 wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 are from the 5th Dynasty and depicts the Governor Merti and his wife. They are both wearing wigs and nice clothing garments. Eleven 𓎆𓏺 wooden statues were found in his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 at Saqqara and all of them were in incredible condition.

Though it is difficult to see in my picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, Merti is carrying the Sekhem Scepter, depicted similarly by the hieroglyph 𓌂, which translates to “power.” That particular hieroglyphic symbol is also part of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Sekhmet’s 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 name, and her name translates to “she of might.”

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Reading Hieroglyphs

Anubis – Names and Titles in Hieroglyphs

It’s no secret that Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 (Inpu in Egyptian – the name Anubis is actually Greek) is my favorite of the Egyptian gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹! I have always been a fan of mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪, so it makes sense that the god of embalming, tombs, cemeteries, etc ended up being my favorite! Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 also could act as a guide to souls in the Underworld 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐(referenced in the Pyramid Texts of Unas).

The inscription (which is read from left to right on this particular text) states: 𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣𓁶𓏺𓈋𓆑 𓇋𓏶𓅱𓏏𓐎𓊖.

The translation is:
𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙 – An offering the king gives
𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣- Anubis
𓁶𓏺𓈋𓆑 – Upon his hill/mountain
𓇋𓏶𓅱𓏏𓐎𓊖 – He who is in the mummy wrappings

The title “𓁶𓏺𓈋𓆑” refers to Anubis’ role as the protector of the tombs while “ 𓇋𓏶𓅱𓏏𓐎𓊖” refers to Anubis’ importance as the god 𓊹 of embalming/mummification.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Name Panels of Senwosret I

I am standing in front of the Name Panels for the Middle Kingdom Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Senwosret I 𓄊𓋴𓂋𓏏𓊃𓈖 at the MET. These panels were originally part of his pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 complex and were reconstructed from excavated pieces.

Senwosret I’s 𓄊𓋴𓂋𓏏𓊃𓈖 throne name Kheperkare 𓇳𓆣𓂓 is seen multiple times along with his Horus name “𓋹𓄟” which means “living in births.”

These panels were originally part of his pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 complex and were reconstructed from excavated pieces.

A lot of Egyptian art was designed to be in three layers. The falcon god 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭 is seen at the top of all the panels which represent the world 𓇾𓇾 according to Egyptian religious beliefs – at the top is the realm of Horus 𓅃𓀭, then beneath that is the realm of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.