Tag: brooklyn museum

Ushabti of Sati

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 26, 2022

This is the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 of Sati, and the Brooklyn Museum has two 𓏻 of them! The ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 dates to either the reign of Amenhotep III 𓇳𓁧𓎠 or Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 (New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, c. 1390-1352 B.C.E.).

This piece is unique because of the color (I love the blue 𓇅𓆓𓏛 accents) and extreme attention to detail – the process to make it was so labor intensive that only a few like these were made!! While Sati was not royal (the only title associated with her was “mistress of the house”), these ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 were clearly a royal gift just due to the craftsmanship that went into making it.

This ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is made out of faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 and is mummiform in appearance, with the arms 𓂝𓏦 crossed along the chest. In each hand 𓂝𓏺, the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is holding a hoe and a basket. This indicates that the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 was meant to do some type of agricultural labor for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐! The ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is also wearing a broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝.

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, ushabti

Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of an “Amarna King”

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 26, 2022

The Amarna Period and Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 reign as pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 has always fascinated me. All of the radical changes that were made – such as changing the religion from polytheistic to the monotheistic worship of Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳, to moving the capital, to the changes in the art – it must have been quite crazy during those years!

This is actually one of my favorite pieces in the Brooklyn Museum – the Museum has the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 labeled as “Amarna King” but to me it’s clear that this piece represents Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖. He is represented in typical Amarna art style here: distended belly/large hips, very long arms, narrow neck and angular face. It is not known whether these are exaggerated features, or if the art was meant to be a more realistic representation of what the royal family looked like. Usually Egyptian art depicted people at their finest, with idealized features rather than realistic ones.

In this statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾, Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 is wearing the khepresh 𓆣𓂋𓈙𓋙 crown with the gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 Uraeus 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗 preserved at the front, a broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 necklace and a skirt. While this limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 statue’s 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 paint is preserved beautifully the gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 that is seen is actually gold leaf and not paint!

Tags akhenaten, amarna, artifact, brooklyn museum

Egyptian Artifacts

Sunken Relief of Ptolemy II

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 26, 2022

This sunken relief in granite 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓈖𓌳𓍿 depicts Ptolemy II Philadelphos 𓇳𓄊𓂓𓏺𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘. Although the Ptolemaic Period of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 had Greek/Macedonian rulers, they were still depicted in the ways of classical Egyptian art. This relief shows Ptolemy II 𓇳𓄊𓂓𓏺𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘 in full Egyptian fashion – he is wearing the nemes headdress 𓈖𓅓𓋴 with a Uraeus 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗 on the forehead.

Above Ptolemy II’s 𓇳𓄊𓂓𓏺𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘 head 𓁶𓏺, you can see the hieroglyphs “𓎟𓊪𓏏𓇯” which translates to “lord of the sky” or “lord of the heavens.” This title is usually associated with the god 𓊹 Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖.

Above his raised arms, you can see the bottom of a cartouche, which most likely held Ptolemy II’s name 𓂋𓈖. Userkara 𓇳𓄊𓂓𓏺𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘 “The strong one of the soul of Ra, beloved of Amun” was Ptolemy II’s throne name, while his birth name in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 was simply 𓊪𓏏𓍯𓃭𓐝𓇌𓋴 Ptolemaios. It was not uncommon for the Greek rulers to phonetically spell their names with the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! It can honestly make them very easy to read for people who are just beginning to learn!

This piece is from the Ptolemaic Period (c. 282-246 B.C.E.).

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, ptolemy ii

Egyptian Artifacts

Assortment of Glass Inlays

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 26, 2022

These are an assortment of glass 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 inlays that are dated to the Ptolemaic Period (305-30 B.C.E.). Glass 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 inlays were used to decorate shrines or other objects that were made out of cartonnage (cartonnage is like ancient paper mache). The glass 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 inlays were pressed directly into the cartonnage when it was still wet in order to make the inlays stock, and this complete the object!

There are many glass 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 inlays in this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, and the one in the center is representative of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. The pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 is wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓏏𓋔 (which happens to be blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 – probably to make it stand out). There are also to inlays of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭(bottom left and top right), Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 (above the pharaoh), a winged scarab 𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣, a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄, and a pillar with a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 on it.

While these are very tiny 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 objects, and are probably glanced over quickly by many, I’m the type of person that loves tiny 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 things!

Fun fact: the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 for the words “glass” and “faience” are the same: 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼.

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum

Egyptian Artifacts

Unconventional Limestone Stela

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 26, 2022

This is a very unconventional limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸, and it is from the Ptolemaic Period (2nd-1st century B.C.E.).

From the top, the piece starts of pretty normally – with the sun disk 𓇳𓏺 and curved wings representing heaven 𓊪𓏏𓇯, the two 𓏻 cobras representing Nekhbet 𓇑𓃀𓏏𓅐𓎟 and Wadjet 𓇅𓇌𓏏𓆘, and the two 𓏻 jackals 𓊃𓄿𓃀𓃥𓏦 facing each other. The two 𓏻 jackals 𓊃𓄿𓃀𓃥𓏦 are sitting on a horizontal line, which is another artistic representation of heaven 𓊪𓏏𓇯.

Traditionally, the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 is usually shown making offerings to the god Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, while Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 accompanied him. However, that is not happening here! The deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱, a man named Pakhaas is shown sitting and receiving offerings from his son 𓅭 Pakhy while the deceased’s 𓅓𓏏𓏱 wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐 Nesihor, is shown standing behind him holding a sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣. Pakhaas and his son 𓅭 are separated by an offering table 𓂝𓃀𓅡𓄿𓋃, and Pakhaas has a tiny Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 sitting in his lap – this could mean that Pakhaas has effectively become Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. This means that Pakhy is Horus 𓅃𓀭 making offerings to his dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 father 𓇋𓏏𓀀, while Nesihor is Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥. So this family has effectively become the very popular Egyptian triad.

The red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 and green 𓇅𓄿𓆓𓏛 paint can still be seen on the stela, whole the blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 paint is no longer visible. Red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 and green tend to last longer than blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥!

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, stela

Egyptian Artifacts

Book of the Dead of Sobekmose

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 26, 2022

One of the greatest aspects of the Brooklyn Museum’s Egyptian collection is The Book of the Dead for a man named Sobekmose, who had the title “Goldworker of Amun.” Sobekmose was buried in Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 and that is where this papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 was found. This Book of the Dead dates to the 18th Dynasty (early New Kingdom 1500-1480 B.C.E.). It is displayed as one complete papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛!

The Book of the Dead is interesting because it doesn’t follow a particular story. The spells 𓎛𓂓𓏛𓏦 do seem to be grouped by theme, and sometimes pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 can be representative of the spells 𓎛𓂓𓏛𓏦 as well.

In this image 𓏏𓅱𓏏, you can see some of the Hieratic script that the Book of the Dead is written in – don’t ask me to translate, because I can’t read Hieratic! I can only read hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! I would love to learn Hieratic though! The text is read from top to bottom, right to left.

Some of the Hieratic is in black 𓆎𓅓 ink while some of it is in red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟. The red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 ink seems to symbolize either the beginning or the end 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓂝𓏛 of a spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛, or it could highlight a word for a noun that was considered “bad” in Egyptian culture. However, sometimes even “offering table 𓂝𓃀𓅡𓄿𓋃” could have been written/drawn in red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 and offering tables 𓂝𓃀𓅡𓄿𓋃 were not bad at all! So, some of the red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 ink seems kinda random.

Tags artifact, book of the dead, brooklyn museum

Egyptian Artifacts

Gold Wreath from the Ptolemaic Period

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 26, 2022

Much like today, gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 was very valued in the ancient world. This piece is from the Ptolemaic Period (3rd century-2nd century B.C.E.), and it has a very obvious Greek influence. Many different types of wreaths 𓌴𓄿𓎛𓆰𓏦 were made in ancient Greece using different plants 𓆾𓆰𓆰𓆰. The “plant 𓇐𓅓𓆰” used in this wreath 𓌴𓄿𓎛𓆰 may be the laurel, which was associated with the Greek god Apollo. While gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 wreaths 𓌴𓄿𓎛𓆰𓏦 like this one could be used to crown athletic victors, it could have also been used in a funerary context. The wreath 𓌴𓄿𓎛𓆰 pictured is most likely one that had a funerary purpose. The wreaths 𓌴𓄿𓎛𓆰𓏦 worn by the living were most likely made of real flowers 𓆼𓅱𓆰𓏦.

Gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 is a very malleable material, meaning that it can be easily shaped and bent into various shapes. While a great property to have when considering art, this also means that anything made of gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 is extremely delicate. Most gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 jewelry made today is actually an alloy – meaning gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 is mixed with another metal to make it more durable.

Due to the delicate nature of these wreaths 𓌴𓄿𓎛𓆰𓏦, there are only four 𓏽 surviving today!

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum

Egyptian Artifacts

Amulets of the Four Sons of Horus

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 26, 2022

These are four 𓏽 faience amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 that represent the four Sons of Horus.

Here, they are depicted as mummiform figures and while amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 could be worn by both the living and the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱, these specific amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 were most likely used by the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. While the Sons of Horus were first mentioned in the Pyramid Texts, these amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 are dated between The Late Period and the Roman Period (664 B.C.E.-after 30 B.C.E.).

After the 18th Dynasty, the Four Sons of Horus were associated with being the heads on canopic jars which would guard the organs 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹𓏦 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. While each were associated with an organ 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹, they were also each associated with a cardinal direction and were protected by a funerary goddess𓊹𓏏.

(From Left) Imsety 𓇋𓐝𓋴𓍘𓇋 had the head of a human, protected the liver 𓅓𓊃𓏏𓄹𓏸𓏸𓏸, was associated with the South 𓇔𓅱𓏏 and was protected by Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥.

Duamutef 𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑 had the head of a jackal, protected the stomach 𓂋𓄣𓏻, was associated with the East 𓋁𓃀𓏏𓏭, and was protected by Neith 𓈖𓏏𓋌𓀭.

Qebehsenuef 𓏁𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑 had the head of a falcon, protected the intestines 𓈖𓊪𓅮𓄿𓏲𓏼, was associated with the West 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊, and was protected by Selket 𓊃𓂋𓈎𓏏𓁐.

Hapy 𓎛𓐑𓊪𓇌 had the head of a baboon, protected the lungs 𓊃𓌴𓄥𓅱𓄺, was associated with the North 𓎔𓏏, and was protected by Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇.

Tags amulet, artifact, brooklyn museum, sons of horus

Egyptian Artifacts

Roman Period Mummy Mask

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 25, 2022

This is a mummy mask of a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 from the Roman Period of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.

The Roman Period of Egypt is characterized as being after the death of Cleopatra VII 𓈎𓃭𓇋𓍯𓊪𓄿𓂧𓂋𓏏𓄿𓆇, the last pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, in 31 B.C.E. Even though Cleopatra VII 𓈎𓃭𓇋𓍯𓊪𓄿𓂧𓂋𓏏𓄿𓆇 was Greek, she is considered to be the last pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.

My Nonno loved the Roman Period of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 because he loved Roman history too, and it was always so interesting to see the merging of the two civilizations. The merging of the civilizations also meant the merging of both Egyptian and Roman art styles, as is demonstrated by this mask. The mask is made of cartonnage and mostly overlaid with gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 leaf. The eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦 are inlaid with glass 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼, while the garland 𓌴𓄿𓎛𓆰 of flowers 𓆼𓅱𓆰𓏦 is painted.

My favorite detail on this mummy mask are the snake 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆙 bracelets 𓂝𓏠𓆑𓂋𓏏𓇛𓏦 that are carved in raised relief on the arms 𓂝𓏦. I love snake 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆙 themed jewelry and wear snake 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆙 rings 𓂝𓈖𓏏𓋪𓏥 and bracelets 𓂝𓏠𓆑𓂋𓏏𓇛𓏦 myself! I think it is such a beautiful 𓄤 detail on the mask! The woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 who owned this mask was most likely extremely wealthy because most mummy masks were not completely overlaid with gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 leaf such as this one.

The eyebrows on the mask are blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 because it is supposed to be the same color as lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧! Many of the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 were thought to have blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧 hair! The blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 eyebrows could represent this woman joining the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 in the afterlife.