This is definitely a unique piece! I had never seen one like it in another museum which is why I was so interested in it!
The Brooklyn Museum has it listed as a βModel of a Temple Gateway.β The actual function of the model is unclear because it is not a model that was used by an architect! It is listed as being βceremonialβ – which is archaeology speak for βwe have no idea what this is for”!
The sunken reliefs around the base of the model show Pharaoh Seti I ππ ππ»ππ£π in a kneeling position making offerings to several forms of the sun-god. Khepri π£πππ (the rising sun), Ra-Horkathy π πππ€ (sun at the highest point in the sky – known as the zenith), and Atum ππππ (the setting sun and one of the creation gods πΉπΉπΉ) can all be seen.
The cartouche shown is one of the variations of Seti Iβs π³π¦π throne name. Usually itβs just written as π³π¦π (Eternal is the Truth of Ra) but here itβs shown as π³π π§ππ³ (Eternal is the Truth of Ra, the image of Ra).
One of the most popular types of jewelry amongst the elite – including the pharaohs ππ»π¦ and royal family is known as the broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ. In Middle Egyptian, the word for broad collar was π ±π΄ππΊπ (pronounced βwesekh) or simply just the determinative hieroglyph π could be used for the whole word. This particular broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ was made during the late 18th Dynasty.
The broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ was the necklace of choice by both the gods πΉπΉπΉ and the pharaohs ππ»π¦ and it reached peak popularity during the 18th Dynasty. Broad collars π ±π΄ππΊππ¦ could be made of many different types of materials, including gold ππππ, but the one shown in this picture are made of blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ faience π£πππΈπΌ beads. This broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ is in almost perfect condition!
Underneath the broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ is actually a spoon! It is not a spoon that was used for eating, but instead used to hold ointment π΄πΌππ. The top part of the spoon swivels open! It is fashioned after a pomegranate ππππ π, and the spoon part itself is supposed to be a pomegranate ππππ π fruit. Fun fact: pomegranate ππππ π flowers and fruit never appear on the plant at the same time, so maybe the spoon is representative of the growth from flowers to fruit/the life cycle of the plant??!! We will never know!
This post will be about two statues from different museums that are very similar!
This is a wooden π±ππΊ statue πππππΎ of the goddess πΉπ Nephthys π ππ dated from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period. I am always amazed when wooden π±ππΊ statues are in such great condition – even though the paint is chipping in some places, the statue πππππΎ still retained much of its original color!
Wooden Statue of Nephthys at the Brooklyn Museum
Along with her sister π’ππ Isis π¨ππ₯, Nephthys π ππ was a protector π ππ‘π of the dead and this statue πππππΎ was most likely used for funerary purposes. The crown on her head is one of the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ that is used in her name (π ), which makes Nephthys π ππ very easy to identify in tomb art/funerary art. Her hand/arm ππΊ is raised in what is thought to me a mourning position, and this statue πππππΎ was most likely placed in a tomb ππ«ππ.
Nephthysβ π ππ title was βMistress of the House ππππΊ.β Her name ππ could also be written as ππππππ―π. The three πΌ symbols βπππβ can be combined to make the βπ β symbol, which is not only the crown, but a space saver when writing out hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
Nephthysβ π ππ hair is blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ because it was supposed to be the same color as lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§! Lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§ is a stone (usually found in modern day Afghanistan) and was considered to be worth more than gold ππππ by the ancient Egyptians πππππͺ because it had to be traded for! Many of the gods πΉπΉπΉ and goddesses πΉπΉπΉπ were thought to have blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§ hair!
This is a wooden π±ππΊ statue πππππΎ of the goddess πΉπ Isis π¨ππ₯ is dated from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period. Once again, this wooden π±ππΊ statue is in such great condition! When I saw the statue of Nephthys π ππ in the Brooklyn Museum, it immediately reminded me of this statue of Isis π¨ππ₯ at the Louvre!
Wooden Statue of Isis at the Louvre
Isis π¨ππ₯ was a protector π ππ‘π of the dead and the wife to Osiris πΉπ¨π. This statue πππππΎ was most likely used for funerary purposes. Her hands/arms ππ¦ are raised in what is thought to be a mourning position, and this statue πππππΎ was most likely placed in a tomb ππ«ππ.
The crown on her head is one of the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ that is used in her name (π¨), which makes Isis π¨ππ₯ very easy to identify in tomb art/funerary art. Isis can also be written as π¨ππ or πΏπ¨ππ₯, but no matter what, the βπ¨β always appears in her name ππ!
Much like the statue of Nephthysβ π ππ from the Brooklyn Museum, Isisβ π¨ππ₯ hair is blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ because it was supposed to be the same color as lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§! Many of the gods πΉπΉπΉ and goddesses πΉπΉπΉπ were thought to have blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§ hair!
This is a black granite πππππ³πΏ stela ππ ±ππΈ shows the god πΉ Sobek π΄ππ‘π in sunken relief. This stela is dated to the reign of Thutmosis III π π π΄ (18th Dynasty). The stela ππ ±ππΈ originally belonged to a soldier named Amunemhat and he dedicated it to one of Sobekβs π΄ππ‘π temples. Thutmosis III π π π΄ saw a lot of military victories, and that is probably how Anunemhat was able to pay for this small stela ππ ±ππΈ.
On the stela ππ ±ππΈ, Sobek π΄ππ‘π is seen in crocodile π π΄ππ form standing on an altar π΅ππͺ with an elaborate headdress on his head. There is an offering table πππ ‘πΏπ in front of him that contains bread πππ and meat ππ ±ππΉ, which were very common things to be left as offerings π΅ππͺπ ππ¦ to either a god πΉ or the dead. Amunemhat is seen kneeling in the lower right corner of the stela ππ ±ππΈ. Due to the faded hieroglyphs itβs very hard for me to translate them though next to Amunemhatβs head πΆπΊ you can see β ππ πβ which is βAmunβ and this the start of Amunemhatβs name ππ.
Sobek π΄ππ‘π had been worshipped since the Old Kingdom and is mentioned in the Pyramid Texts as being the son π of the goddess πΉπ Neith ππππ. He was a water god πΉ , and also of areas such as marshes and rivers/riverbanks. Sobek π΄ππ‘π usually appears in art as a crocodile π π΄ππ or as a man with a crocodile π π΄ππ head. The elaborate headdress on his head is representative of the sun disk π³πΊ with tall plumes on either side.
This limestone ππππ sculpture of the goddess πΉπ Hathor π‘ is one of my favorite pieces that I saw in the Louvre. This piece is dated to the Ptolemaic Period, and used to be part of a column.
Hathorβs π‘ name ππ in hieroglyphs πΉππͺ is quite unique compared to some of the other gods/goddesses. Her name ππ is composed of a composite hieroglyph πΉπ which literally translates to βHouse of Horus.β Hathor π‘ was the goddess πΉπ of women ππππππͺ, motherhood, joy, music πππΈ, happiness π«π ±π, and a goddess πΉπ of the afterlife πΌπΏππ.
One detail that I love about this piece is that Hathor π‘ is shown with her cow ears! Hathor π‘ was usually depicted in Egyptian art as either a woman πππππ or a cow π€ππππ, so this little detail is just so cool! Another detail that I love is how her wig is decorated with rosettes! The details are in raised relief, which only make them stand out more.
In Middle Egyptian, the words βbeautiful womanβ and βcowβ were the same – the only thing that was different was the determinative symbol! This was most likely due to an association with Hathor π‘, and to this day remains one of my favorite βfun factsβ about hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
The relief shows Seti I π³π¦π and the goddess πΉπ Hathor π‘. Hathor π‘ was known as the Lady of the West (the underworld πΌπΏππ). The West and the Underworld πΌπΏππ were equated by the ancient Egyptians πππππͺ because the sun π³πΊ set in the west! Here, she is seen welcoming Seti I π³π¦π into her domain, while offering him her menat necklace π§, a symbol of protection. They are even holding hands π§ππΊ! This relief was originally from Seti Iβs πͺπππ£ππΈπ tomb ππ«ππ, which is actually the biggest tomb ππ«ππ in the Valley of the Kings!
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
π‘πΆπ·ππππ – βHathor, Chief one of Thebesβ
ππΏπΏ(π³π¦π ) – βLord of the Two Lands, Maatmenraβ (Maatmenra is the throne name)
πππ₯(πͺπππ£ππΈπ) – βLord of the Two Lands Seti, Beloved of Ptahβ (Seti is the birth name)
ππΉ π³ππΊπ – βGiven Eternal Life, Like Raβ
This is another amazing piece from Gallery 115 at the MET – aka The Hatshepsut Room (as I call it). This granite πππππ³πΏ statue πππππΎ is from the joint reign of Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ and Thutmosis III π³π π£ It is titled βHead and Shoulders of a Sphinx of Hatshepsutβ because it used to be part of a large Sphinx ππ ±ππ€.
Six πΏ large sphinxes ππ ±ππ¦ of Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ were found at Deir el-Bahri π¦ππ¦π₯π during the excavations done by the MET. Though it is hard to see in the pictureππ ±π, the sphinx ππ ±ππ€ does actually have some remainders of the original paint on it! I canβt even imagine how beautiful π€ it must have looked after it was just carved and painted!
Much like your typical Sphinx ππ ±ππ€, Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ is seen wearing the false beard and the nemes headcloth ππ π΄, which was the normal style for how pharaohs ππ»π¦ were depicted.
A lot of Hatshepsutβs statues πππππΎπͺ that are from her temple at Deir el-Bahri π¦ππ¦π₯π are made of either granite πππππ³πΏ or red granite π π³ππΆ, which is a very hard rock ππππ (aka very resistant to weathering/breakdown). Granite πππππ³πΏ was mined is Aswan π΄πΉπππ²π and then shipped up the Nile ππππ ±ππππΊ- definitely an incredible journey!
Triads (groups of three πΌ) were popular among ancient Egyptian statuary and mythology. This piece from the Louvre is called the βRoyal and Divine Triadβ (Dynasty 19, New Kingdom c. 1279-1203 B.C.E.) because it represents three πΌ of the most powerful figures in the Egyptian pantheon. Rameses II ππ πππ³πΊππ΄π or his son π Merenptah π³ππππΉπΉπΉ is on the left, Osiris πΉπ¨π is in the middle, while Horus π π is on the right. The pharaoh ππ» was viewed as a god πΉ on Earth, Horus π π was the king of the gods πΉπΉπΉ, and Osiris πΉπ¨π was lord π of the afterlife.
I find this piece super interesting because the pharaoh ππ» kind of inserted himself amongst the most famous of the Egyptian triads – Isis π¨ππ₯, Osiris πΉπ¨π and Horus π π – who were supposed to represent the divine family (mother π ππ, father πππ, and child πππ). In some instances (like with this statue), the pharaoh ππ» would function as the child in the statue.
Not all triads represented families, though that was the most common. Ptah πͺπππ±, Sekhmet πππ ππ, and Nefertem π€πππππ― was a family triad that was extremely popular in Memphis. During the New Kingdom (around the time of Tutankhamun ππ πππ ±ππΉπΎπΊπ), the triad of Amun ππ π, Ra π³πΊπ, and Ptah πͺπππ± became very popular due to the powerful nature of these three πΌ deities
This is a stela ππ ±ππΈ for a man πππ€ named Irethoreru and it is dated to the 25th Dynasty (Third Intermediate Period, c. 775-663 B.C.E.). This stela is composed of the igneous rock ππππ syenite, which is very similar to granite πππππ³πΏ except for the fact that it contains much less quartz π πππ. This property is what allows such beautiful π€ color contrast between the rock ππππ itself versus the sunken relief. The contrast between the two π» makes this stela ππ ±ππΈ particularly stunning in my opinion.
On the right side, we can see Irethoreru making an offering π΅ππͺπππ¦ to Osiris πΉπ¨π and Isis π¨ππ₯. All three πΌ figures are standing underneath Horus the Behdetite (the winged solar disc with uraei πππππ), which is a representation of Horus π π that was popular on stelae ππ ±ππΈπͺ and temple decorations throughout many Egyptian time periods.
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
π¨ππ – Isis (Isis is more commonly written like this βπ¨ππ₯β or β π¨πππ₯β) π ¨π – Great One πΉπ – Godβs Mother/Goddess
πΉπ¨π – βOsirisβ πΉπΌ – βGreat Godβ ππ― – βLord of the Skyβ (π― by itself usually means βabove,β but for this translation itβs just the word sky/heaven which is usually written as πͺππ―. This is usually Amunβs ππ ππ title so itβs a little strange to see it associated with Osiris πΉπ¨π!) πΎ – Ruler π – Eternity
This beautiful π€ limestone ππππ relief is from the tomb ππ«ππ of a man πππ€ named Dagi, who served as vizier π ·ππΊπ and treasurer π¨π ± during the reign of Montuhotep II π ππΏπ ±π΅ππͺ (Dynasty 11, c. 2010β2000 B.C.E.). It is unclear if the two π» men π΄ππ shown in this relief are Dagiβs sons, or if they are other officials π΄πππ¦. The two π» men π΄ππ are wearing blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ armlets ππ΄π‘ππ ±πͺ and broad collars π ±π΄ππΊπ. This type of jewelry, while expensive to obtain in real life, was very common to see in reliefs.
While very simple, the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ in this relief show the name βπ¨ππ β, which is pronounced as βSaisetβ and translates to βSon of Isis.β This is actually one of the earliest examples of the goddess πΉπ Isis π¨ππ₯ actually being used as part of a name ππ.
I am always a big fan of the simple reliefs that have a ton of color. Itβs amazing how artifacts that are so old are still able to retain their color and beauty after thousands of years. No matter how many times I see stuff like this, it always amazes me!
