Tag: stela

Limestone Stela of Paser

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 25, 2022

This is a limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 that belonged to a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 named Paser 𓅮𓀙 who lived during the 18th Dynasty.

This is not the same Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 who was the vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 – that Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 lived during the 19th Dynasty! On a random note, the Vizier Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 has his own large stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 in the British Museum (which I have written about in previous posts) but a smaller stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 was also found during the excavation of his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐. I was so excited to see the name 𓂋𓈖 Paser 𓅮𓀙 in the Petrie Museum when I was there with my Nonno because my Nonno’s favorite non-royal was vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽! That excitement ended when I saw the date of the piece and realized that these were not for “THE” Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 and we’re just for another man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 with the same name 𓂋𓈖 😂.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs! What’s great about this stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is thatall the people are labeled with a “caption” above them so they can be identified. The man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 in the middle is Paser 𓅮𓀙 and on either side of him is a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐. Both women have the same name 𓂋𓈖 – Mery 𓌻𓇌. The word “mery” in Middle Egyptian means “beloved,” and can also be written like this: 𓌻𓂋𓇌.

The woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 that is sitting with Paser 𓅮𓀙 on the lion legged chair is his wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐, while the woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 standing at the offering table 𓂝𓃀𓅡𓄿𓋃 with the lotus flower 𓆸 is their daughter 𓐍𓇌𓀕. Two 𓏻 Eyes of Horus 𓂀 can be seen on either side of the Shen Ring 𓍶 at the top of the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸.

Tags artifact, petrie museum, stela

Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

“Stela of the Overseer of the Fortress Intef”

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 24, 2022

This beautiful 𓄤 limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is titled by the MET as “Stela of the Overseer of the Fortress Intef.”

This stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is dated to Dynasty 11 of the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000-1988 B.C.E.) and we know this because the cartouches of Mentuhotep II 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 (credited with reunifying Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖) appear as a dedication from Intef 𓏎𓈖𓏏𓆑, the owner of the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸. Intef 𓏎𓈖𓏏𓆑 was an official 𓋴𓂋𓀀 and “overseer of the fortress” – a title that could’ve only been given to him after the reunification of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! While I would love to translate the whole thing for all of you, there is too much text to fit in an Instagram description, and it’s hard to see some of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on my picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏! so I will do as much as I can! Below are the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 from the first half of top panel of the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸! I want to translate the other readable parts for you all too so I will do that soon!

𓅃𓄥𓇿𓇿 – Horus, Uniter of the Two Lands

𓅒𓄥𓇿𓇿- Two Ladies, Uniter of the Two Lands

𓅉 – Horus of Gold

𓆥 – King of Upper and Lower Egypt

(𓇳𓎟𓊤) Nebhapetra (throne name)

𓅭𓇳 – Son of Ra

(𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪) Mentuhotep II (given name)

𓋹 – Life

𓇳𓏇 -Like Ra

𓆖 – Forever

Here it is all together: 𓅃𓄥𓇿𓇿𓅒𓄥𓇿𓇿𓅉𓆥(𓇳𓎟𓊤)𓅭𓇳(𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪)𓋹𓇳𓏇𓆖

“Horus, “Uniter of the Two Lands,” Two Ladies “Uniter of the Two Lands,” Falcon of Gold, King of Upper and Lower Egypt Nebhepetre, Son of Ra, Mentuhotep, alive like Ra forever.”

Nicole (me) with the Stela of the Overseer of the Fortress Intef.

Tags artifact, hieroglyphs, stela, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Stela of a Man Named Ihefy

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 23, 2022

This is a simple stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 that is painted in really nice bright colors on wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺! One of the reasons I like this piece so much is that it has retained its colors through time! This is dated between the 22nd and 25th Dynasties.

The stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 depicts a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 named Ihefy simply worshipping 𓇼𓄿𓀢/adoring the god 𓊹 Horus(?) 𓅃𓀭. While the museum description says the god 𓊹 is Horus 𓅃𓀭, I question that because of the sun disc 𓇳𓏤 appearing on the falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 head. Usually, Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 will appear as a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 head wearing a sun disc 𓇳𓏤. Horus 𓅃𓀭 is usually depicted wearing the crown of Upper Egypt 𓋑, Lower Egypt 𓋔, or both 𓋖 (most common).

However, since this is a later time period, this could be the god 𓊹 Ra-Horakhty 𓅊𓏔𓏔𓏤, who is a combination of Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 and Horus 𓅃𓀭 into a single deity. I believe this is a depiction of Ra-Horakhty 𓅊𓏔𓏔𓏤 because of the sun-disc 𓇳𓏤 crown that has a Uraeus 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗 at the front, along with the fact that Ra-Horakhty 𓅊𓏔𓏔𓏤 is holding a flail 𓌅 and scepter 𓌀, which is another common way to depict him.

The main reason why I think this is a depiction of Ra-Horakhty 𓅊𓏔𓏔𓏤? The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Ra-Horakhty’s 𓅊𓏔𓏔𓏤 name 𓂋𓈖 appears right above him on the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸!

We know that Ihefy is worshipping 𓇼𓄿𓀢 Ra-Horakhty 𓅊𓏔𓏔𓏤 because his arms are in the raised position! The determinative for the word worship 𓇼𓄿𓀢 is even a man with his arms raised 𓀢!

Tags gods and goddesses, petrie museum, ra horakhty, stela

Egyptian Artifacts

Stelae

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 22, 2022

Here are two 𓏻 beautifully 𓄤 decorated stelae from the British Museum. Nonno always loved looking at the various stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏪 in the museums. They were among his favorite artifacts – and he of course passed that love on to me!

In ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 were often used to commemorate the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and keep their memory alive. That is one of the things I am doing for my Nonno through this account – keeping his memory alive and sharing what an amazing person he was with the world 𓇾𓇾. In addition, I am also keeping his name 𓂋𓈖 alive because in Egyptian culture the name 𓂋𓈖 was one of the most important elements of a human. In order to exist, a person needed to have five 𓏾 essential elements: the body 𓎛𓂝𓄼, the shadow 𓆄𓏏𓅱𓋼, the Ba 𓅡𓏤, the Ka (soul/life force) 𓂓𓏤, and the name 𓂋𓈖.

On the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 on the left, there is a Ba 𓅡𓏤 statue attached to the top, which was a very popular style during the Ptolemaic Period (c. 332–30 B.C.E.), so I am going to assume that stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is Ptolemaic. The Ba 𓅡𓏤 is the impression that an individual makes on others – everything except the physical body 𓎛𓂝𓄼. The Ba 𓅡𓏤 can also be thought of as an individual’s personality. When a person died, the Ba 𓅡𓏤 was the only part of the person that would be able to travel out of the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐, but it did have to return eventually to be reunited with the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾.

I like the combination of the Ba 𓅡𓏤 and the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 because they are connected – the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 was meant to commemorate the deceased, while the Ba 𓅡𓏤 was part of their soul. It makes sense for the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 to attach the two 𓏻 together!

I wish I had closer pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of both stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸, but it was probably difficult with the glass. On the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 on the left, the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 is making an offering 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 to Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. On the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 with the Ba 𓅡𓏤, there is so much happening! I would probably need to make three 𓏼 posts to interpret it all!

Tags artifact, british museum, stela, stelae

Egyptian Artifacts

Interesting Roman-Egyptian Stela

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 20, 2022

Limestone stela from the Roman Period of Egyptian history

This is certainly an interesting stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 for sure! This stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is made of limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 but the craftsmanship is kind of…off! This is very typical for work from the time period (1st Century B.C.E. – 4th Century A.D.). During the Greek and Roman periods, objects like amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪, stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏪, statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪, and more were so mass produced that the craftsmanship suffered. Let’s take a look at what is going on!

The first thing I noticed is that there are no hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on this stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸! So the only way to “decipher” it is by looking at who is depicted! At the top, you can see the winged 𓂧𓌳𓏏𓆃 sun disk 𓇳𓏺, a symbol of life 𓋹𓈖𓐍 and regeneration. Beneath the sun disk 𓇳𓏺 are two 𓏻 snakes 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆘𓏪 and the “ankh 𓋹,” which is the symbol for life 𓋹𓈖𓐍! While crudely carved, this is a very typical design to see on the top of a stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸.

In the middle panel, Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 (middle) is presenting the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 (right) to Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 (left). This scene is a very typical one that you would see on a stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸! During the Roman times, Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 was viewed as the “conquerer of death,” and was depicted a lot with the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 person in artwork.

On the bottom panel, it is inferred that Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 (left) and Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 (right) are pictured in a mourning stance. I say “inferred” because usually when Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 are pictured, they have their crowns on their head which make them very easy to recognize! Here they do not, however, there might be a tiny indication of a crown on Isis’ 𓊨𓏏𓁥 head (though it is hard to see). I think the crowns are missing because the artist ran out of room!!

Tags anubis, artifact, roman, stela, the met

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