Tag: seti i

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

“Model of a Temple Gateway”

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 “Model of a Temple Gateway.” 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 “ceremonial” – which is archaeology speak for “we have no idea what this is for”!

The sunken reliefs around the base of the model show Pharaoh Seti I 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓌻𓇌𓁣𓈖 in a kneeling position making offerings to several forms of the sun-god. Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛 (the rising sun), Ra-Horkathy 𓅊𓏔𓏔𓏤 (sun at the highest point in the sky – known as the zenith), and Atum 𓇋𓏏𓂟𓀭 (the setting sun and one of the creation gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹) can all be seen.

The cartouche shown is one of the variations of Seti I’s 𓇳𓁦𓏠 throne name. Usually it’s just written as 𓇳𓁦𓏠 (Eternal is the Truth of Ra) but here it’s shown as 𓇳𓏠𓁧𓂇𓇳 (Eternal is the Truth of Ra, the image of Ra).

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Seti I and the Goddess Hathor

The relief shows Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 and the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Hathor 𓉡. Hathor 𓉡 was known as the Lady of the West (the underworld 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐). The West and the Underworld 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 were equated by the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 because the sun 𓇳𓏺 set in the west! Here, she is seen welcoming Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 into her domain, while offering him her menat necklace 𓋧, a symbol of protection. They are even holding hands 𓂧𓏏𓏺! This relief was originally from Seti I’s 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁣𓇌𓌸𓈖 tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐, which is actually the biggest tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 in the Valley of the Kings!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓉡𓁶𓁷𓏏𓏏𓊖𓋆 – “Hathor, Chief one of Thebes”

𓎟𓇿𓇿(𓇳𓁦𓏠) – “Lord of the Two Lands, Maatmenra” (Maatmenra is the throne name)

𓎟𓈍𓏥(𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁣𓇌𓌸𓈖) – “Lord of the Two Lands Seti, Beloved of Ptah” (Seti is the birth name)

𓏙𓋹 𓇳𓏇𓏺𓆖 – “Given Eternal Life, Like Ra”

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Cartouche of Seti I

Here’s another piece from the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology! This is a really simple piece but I really like it! It probably caught my eye because it has the cartouche of Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 on it, and Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 was one of my Nonno’s favorite pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦! The afternoon that Nonno and I spent exploring the Petrie Museum was one of the best days of my life!

This piece is a fragment from a larger statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾. On the top part of the piece you can even see the bottom part of a broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝. It is made of black 𓆎𓅓 basalt, which is an igneous rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙. Basalt forms when lava solidifies on the Earth’s surface or under the ocean. The entire ocean floor is made of basalt which means that it is is the most abundant rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 on Earth (and Mars too)!

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on this piece are very simple and easy to read!

𓇓𓏏 King of Upper…

𓋔𓏏…and Lower Egypt

(𓇳𓁦𓏠) – Maatmenra (Seti I – Maatmenra was his throne name)

Usually the title of “King of Upper and Lower Egypt” is written as “𓆥” so it is interesting to see it written as “𓇓𓏏𓋔𓏏.” In the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 for this piece, the crown of Lower Egypt 𓋔 was used instead of the bee 𓆤.

King of Upper and Lower Egypt 𓆥 can literally be translated to “He of the Sedge and the Bee,” which is the title that usually preceded the prenomen, which was also known as the throne name or the royal name. The sedge 𓇓 was the symbol for Upper Egypt while the bee 𓆤 was the symbol of Lower Egypt. This title was symbolic that the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was ruling over a united Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. The first pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 to have this title was the Pharaoh Den 𓂧𓈖 during the First Dynasty!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

The Cartouche of Seti I

A wooden Ushabti and Scarabs that contain the cartouche of Seti I (The MET)

These are pieces that contain the cartouche of Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠! There is a wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 and a bunch of scarabs 𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣𓏪 – some of my favorite types of artifacts!

One of my favorite things to see in museums are the wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures of Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠. While only about 700 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲 of these wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures remain, it is estimated that Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 had over 1000 𓆼 of them. What happened to the ones that are missing? They were used for firewood when Belzoni was excavating the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐!

My Nonno frequently told me about this – he was not happy that artifacts were destroyed! Anytime Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 came up in conversation (which was often because he was one of my Nonno’s favorite pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦) my Nonno would say “can you believe some idiots used his ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 as torches??!!”

Seti I’s 𓇳𓁦𓏠 remaining ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 are in museums throughout the world 𓇾𓇾 and I have always been on the lookout for them whenever I go to a museum! Originally, my Nonno and I would always point them out to each other. Now whenever I see them, they are a reminder of my Nonno.