Nonno and I are co-presidents of the Ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ fan club! As much as I also love the Temple of Dendur at the MET, nothing beats seeing all of the different types of ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ figures on display! Seeing the ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ makes me so happy!ย
Nonno and I are co-presidents of the Ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ fan club! As much as I also love the Temple of Dendur at the MET, nothing beats seeing all of the different types of ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ figures on display! Seeing the ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ makes me so happy! Fun Facts about Ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ figures: 1. The ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ served as substitutes for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐. 2. Ushabtis are usually inscribed with specific spells ๐๐๐๐ฆ which assigned each ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ to a certain task! The most popular one is the โShabti Spell.โ 3. Ushabtis can be made of many different types of materials such as faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ, wood ๐ฑ๐๐บ, clay ๐ช๐๐ด๐, limestone ๐๐๐๐ and rarely even bronze ๐๐ค๐๐ฆ! 4. People who could afford it were buried with over 400 ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช! Usually there were 365 ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐พ worker ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช (one for each day of the year) and then overseer ushabtis! My Nonno loved ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช so much and would tell my sister ๐ข๐๐๐ and I stories about them! I love these statues so much and I may be among their biggest fans – I cannot get enough of them! Follow me to learn all about ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs, Egyptian mythology, art, culture and more! This is my personal ideo and original text. DO NOT repost. #ancientegypt#egyptianhistory#egyptologist#ancient_egypt#metropolitanmuseumofart#ushabti#ushabtis#shabti#shabtis#templeofdendur#historytok#egyptology
Fun Facts about Ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ figures:
The ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ served as substitutes for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐.
Ushabtis are usually inscribed with specific spells ๐๐๐๐ฆ which assigned each ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ to a certain task! The most popular one is the โShabti Spell.โ
Ushabtis can be made of many different types of materials such as faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ, wood ๐ฑ๐๐บ, clay ๐ช๐๐ด๐, limestone ๐๐๐๐ and rarely even bronze ๐๐ค๐๐ฆ!
People who could afford it were buried with over 400 ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช! Usually there were 365 ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐พ worker ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช (one for each day of the year) and then overseer ushabtis!
My Nonno loved ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช so much and would tell my sister ๐ข๐๐๐ and I stories about them! I love these statues so much and I may be among their biggest fans – I cannot get enough of them!ย
This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost.ย
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Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช! Today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to be learning about the Shabti Spell! The Shabti Spell was a special hieroglyphic inscription ๐๐ ฑ๐ which gave the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ figure the ability to perform tasks, such as manual labor, for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐.
We are going to look at the blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ that is in this picture!
The โShabti Spellโ usually starts off with the following phrase:
๐ด๐๐๐ถ – The Illuminated One
๐น๐จ๐ญ – The Osiris
Then the โShabti Spellโ will usually list the deceasedโs ๐ ๐๐ฑ job/titles:
๐ – Scribe
๐ – Treasury
So this specific ushabtiโs ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ spell starts off with โThe Illuminated One, The Osiris, The Scribe of the Treasuryโฆโ – after this, the name ๐๐ of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ person would appear (we canโt see it the text wraps around the ushabti) and then the name ๐๐ of either the deceasedโs ๐ ๐๐ฑ mother ๐ ๐๐ or father ๐๐๐ would also be listed.
The word for โushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พโ also appears in the Shabti Spell! It is usually part of the phrase โO these Shabtis, if I am counted, if I am reckoned at any works in the godโs landโฆโ which is the part of the spell ๐๐๐ that calls on the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ to do the work for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ so it is very important because this is the whole point of the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ figure!ย
Let me know if you like the image above with the inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ highlighted!ย
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
Leave it to me to find ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช, a papyrus ๐ ๐๐๐ replica of a relief from Hatshepsutโs ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ temple and a Sphinx ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ค at the Magic Kingdom! While these are all replica pieces, itโs still such a fun find – you all know just how much me (and Nonno) loved ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช! These can all be found at the โJungle Navigation Skipper Canteenโ restaurant!ย
Replica ushabtis at the Magic Kingdom in the Jungle Navigation Skipper Canteenโ restaurant with the papyrus which contains an image from Hatshepsut’s temple!
The ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ served as substitutes for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐. There are two ๐ป common ways to write ushabti in hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช:
๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ – ลกwbtj – the earlier word that was used in Egypt and derived from the word for โstick ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฑ.โ This is where the term โshabtiโ most likely came from!
๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ – wลกbtj – the โnewerโ form of the word used from the 21st Dynasty onward. This is where the term โushabtiโ most likely originated from! My Nonno always said โUshabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พโ so that is what I tend to say as well!
The papyrus ๐ ๐๐๐ is a replica of a relief from Hatshepsutโs ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ temple at Deir el-Bahri ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐! This was originally meant to show Hatshepsutโs ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ famed expedition to Punt ๐ช๐บ๐๐๐!ย
Me with a sphinx outside the entrance to the Jungle Navigation Skipper Canteenโ restaurant at the Magic Kingdom!
This sphinx ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ is in a crouching position, which to the Egyptians ๐๐๐๐๐ช meant that it was a guardian of a sacred place, such as a temple ๐๐๐ or an important building. In this case, the โimportant buildingโ is the entrance to the โJungle Navigation Skipper Canteenโ restaurant!
Wooden ๐ฑ๐๐บ Ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ of Rameses II ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ (New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, c. 1292-1190 B.C.E.). The text ๐๐๐ฅ on the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is a version of the โShabti Spellโ from Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead. This spell gives the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ the power to complete tasks (farming, manual labor, etc) for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ in the Field of Reeds ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ ฑ๐ฐ๐. This ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is mummiform meaning that it looks like a mummy/the god ๐น Osiris ๐น๐จ๐ญ! The ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is holding a holding the crook ๐พ and flail ๐ and is wearing the nemes head cloth ๐๐ ๐ด. Rameses IIโs ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ was plundered in the 20th Dynasty, and only three ๐ผ of his wooden ๐ฑ๐๐บ ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ figures remain! In 1049 B.C.E., the High Priest of Amun ordered Rameses IIโs ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ be moved from his original tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ and to the Royal Cache, a place where many royal ๐พ mummies ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ๐ช were re-buried in order to protect the mummies ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ๐ช from tomb robbers. While the provenance of this ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is unknown, it is assumed that it was originally from Rameses IIโs ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ original tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ (KV 7). This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost. #ancientEgypt#ancientegyptblog#egyptology#egitto#egyptianhistory#anticoegitto#egyptologist#brooklynmuseum#egyptology#ushabti#shabti
The text ๐๐๐ฅ on the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is a version of the โShabti Spellโ from Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead. This spell gives the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ the power to complete tasks (farming, manual labor, etc) for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ in the Field of Reeds ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ ฑ๐ฐ๐.
Me with the Wooden Ushabti of Rameses II at the Brooklyn Museum
This ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is mummiform meaning that it looks like a mummy/the god ๐น Osiris ๐น๐จ๐ญ! The ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is holding a holding the crook ๐พ and flail ๐ and is wearing the nemes head cloth ๐๐ ๐ด.
Rameses IIโs ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ was plundered in the 20th Dynasty, and only three ๐ผ of his wooden ๐ฑ๐๐บ ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ figures remain!
In 1049 B.C.E., the High Priest of Amun ordered Rameses IIโs ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ be moved from his original tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ and to the Royal Cache, a place where many royal ๐พ mummies ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ๐ช were re-buried in order to protect the mummies ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ๐ช from tomb robbers.
While the provenance of this ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is unknown, it is assumed that it was originally from Rameses IIโs ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ original tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ (KV 7).
Wooden Ushabti of Rameses II on display at the Brooklyn Museum
This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost.
Yesterday ๐ด๐๐ณ we looked at a ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ that belonged to Akhenaten ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐, and today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to examine a ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ that belonged to his ๐ father ๐๐๐, the pharaoh ๐๐ป Amenhotep III ๐ณ๐ง๐ !
An ebony wood Ushabti of Amenhotep III on display at the MET
This ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ is made of ebony wood ๐ฑ๐๐บ and has glass ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ inlaid eyes ๐น๐๐ฆ. The inlaid eyes ๐น๐๐ฆ are a striking blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ and white which make this piece really stand out not only amongst other artifacts, but amongst other ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ figures too!
This ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ is a typical mummiform piece – the ushabti has its arms crossed over its chest, and at some point was probably holding a holding the crook ๐พ and flail ๐ which have been lost in antiquity. The crown on its head has also been lost, which is a shame. I wonder what the crown would have been made of?
The hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช are wonderfully preserved. The hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช are carved into the wood ๐ฑ๐๐บ, and then weโre filled with paint ๐จ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ธ๐ฆ! I love how much the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช stand out against the ebony wood ๐ฑ๐๐บ – I think itโs beautiful ๐ค๐๐!
Can you spot Amenhotep IIIโs birth name (๐๐ ๐๐ต๐พ๐) and throne name (๐ณ๐ง๐ ) on the ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ? Let me know!!!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
There are over 200 ๐ฒ๐ฒ ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ figures that belonged to Akhenaten ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ and some of them are on display at the MET! This particular Ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ Figure of Akhenaten ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ though broken in half, has a wonderfully preserved face and partial inscription!
Ushabti Figure of Akhenaten on display at the MET
It seems strange that Akhenaten ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ would be buried with ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช because he completely changed the Egyptian religion from the traditional polytheistic worship ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ข to the monotheistic worship ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ข of the Aten ๐๐๐๐ณ. This shows that while he did completely change Egyptโs ๐๐ ๐๐ religion, some aspects of the old religion, such as belief in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐, did remain and persist throughout his rule ๐พ.ย
Most of Akhenatenโs ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช are in various states of disarray. While most ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช contain standard inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ known as the โshabti spellโ or โshabti text,โ Akhenatenโs ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช only contain inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ of his name ๐๐ and titles. Letโs take a look at the partial inscription ๐๐๐ฅ!
You can see the inscription of โ๐ฅ,โ which as we have learned previously can translate to โHe of the Sedge and the Beeโ or โKing of Upper and Lower Egypt.โ As we know, this is a very popular title to be seen before a cartouche ๐ ๐๐๐ท!
The โ๐ณโ in the cartouche ๐ ๐๐๐ท is part of one of Akhenatenโs ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ throne names, which would most likely be โ๐ณ๐ค๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ก๐,โ since that is the only one of Akhenatenโs ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ throne name ๐๐ variants that begins with a โ๐ณ.โ
Even though โ๐ณ๐ค๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ก๐โ translates to โThe Beautiful One of the Manifestations of Ra, the Unique one of Ra,โ this variant was only seen after the name ๐๐ change from Amenhotep IV ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐น๐พ๐ to Akhenaten ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
Before ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช evolved in the 12th Dynasty, wax ๐ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฆ figurines that looked like humans (and had their own mini coffins ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฆ) werew placed in tombs ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ช with the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ! These precursor-ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช were made of beeswax and beeswax was said to have magical ๐๐๐ฟ๐ powers of protection ๐ ๐๐ก๐, resurrection, and regeneration. The figures are somewhat detailed and were wrapped in a linen cloth ๐ฑ and placed in the mini-coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ. The coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ did not identify any role or jobs that the figure had (like the text on a ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ could identify what itโs job was), but it did identify the name ๐๐ of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ. Sometimes even the standard Offering Formula (๐๐๐ต๐ an offering the king gives) appeared on the mini-coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ as if it were a real one! If these figures werenโt workers, then what was their purpose? It is thought that this figure would take the place of the body should the body of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ be destroyed. These particular wax ๐ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฆ figures belonged to Queen Neferu, who lived during the 11th Dynasty (c. 2051โ2030B.C.E) during the reign of Montuhotep II ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ ฑ๐ต๐๐ช. Her tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ had many of these wax ๐ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฆ figures, however in general, not many similar ones have been found (in comparison to the amount of ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช that have been found) Ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช evolved into the little worker figures we know today during the 12th Dynasty, but became very popular during the New Kingdom. This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost without permission. #ancientEgypt#egyptology#ushabti#shabti#egyptologist#egyptianhistory#egyptianmythology#ancientegyptblog#metropolitanmuseumofart @The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Before ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช evolved in the 12th Dynasty, wax ๐ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฆ figurines that looked like humans (and had their own mini coffins ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฆ) were placed in tombs ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ช with the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ!
These precursor-ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช were made of beeswax and beeswax was said to have magical ๐๐๐ฟ๐ powers of protection ๐ ๐๐ก๐, resurrection, and regeneration. The figures are somewhat detailed and were wrapped in a linen cloth ๐ฑ and placed in the mini-coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ. The coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ did not identify any role or jobs that the figure had (like the text on a ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ could identify what itโs job was), but it did identify the name ๐๐ of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ. Sometimes even the standard Offering Formula (๐๐๐ต๐ an offering the king gives) appeared on the mini-coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ as if it were a real one!
If these figures werenโt workers, then what was their purpose? It is thought that this figure would take the place of the body should the body of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ be destroyed.
These particular wax ๐ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฆ figures belonged to Queen Neferu, who lived during the 11th Dynasty (c. 2051โ2030B.C.E) during the reign of Montuhotep II ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ ฑ๐ต๐๐ช. Her tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ had many of these wax ๐ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฆ figures, however in general, not many similar ones have been found (in comparison to the amount of ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช that have been found).
Ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช evolved into the little worker figures we know today during the 12th Dynasty, but became very popular during the New Kingdom.
Wax Ushabtis on display at the MET
This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.
Today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to look at a ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ that belonged to the pharaoh ๐๐ป Thutmosis IV ๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ! This picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ also shows a shabti coffin! The shabti coffin allowed for the ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ to take the place of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ in case the mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ was destroyed! I like to think of this as a call back to the original โwax ushabtisโ of the Middle Kingdom, which served the same purpose.ย
Thutmosis IV ๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ was the eighth pharaoh ๐๐ป of the 18th Dynasty and he was actually not supposed to be pharaoh ๐๐ป! His brother ๐ข๐ was chosen successor by their father ๐๐๐ Amenhotep II ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐๐ช, but Thutmosis IV ๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ usurped the throne and made himself the pharaoh ๐๐ป!ย
A Ushabti of Thutmosis IV (left) and a shabti coffin that also belonged to Thutmosis IV (right) on display at the MET
Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช!!!ย Letโs take a closer look at the inscription ๐๐ ฑ๐ on the ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ:ย
๐น๐ค – Perfect God
๐๐ฟ๐ฟ – Lord of the Two Lands
๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ – Menkheperura โEstablished Manifestations of Raโ (Throne name of Thutmosis IV)
๐๐ค – True of Voice (Justified)
๐น๐จ – Osiris (Osirisโ name is written without the determinative symbol here (๐น๐จ๐ญ))
๐ธ๐ – Beloved
So all ๐ together ๐๐ the inscription ๐๐ ฑ๐ says: โThe Perfect God, Lord of the Two Lands, Menkheperura, True of Voice, Beloved of Osiris.โ
The tomb ๐๐ฉ๐๐ of Thutmosis IV ๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ in the Valley of the Kings was excavated by Theodore Davis and Howard Carter in 1903, which is where these objects were found! Many blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ pieces were found during this excavation! I love how bright the blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ color still is; itโs really striking in person!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.
Rameses II ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ was arguably one of Egyptโs ๐๐ ๐๐ greatest builders, and his face/name ๐๐ can be found pretty much everywhere you look in a museum (this is why his cartouches ๐ ๐๐๐ท๐ฆ are good to learn – you will see them a lot).ย
Me with the wooden Ushabti of Rameses II at the Brooklyn Museum!
This beautiful ๐ค๐๐ piece is a Wooden ๐ฑ๐๐บ Ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ of Rameses II ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ (New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, c. 1292-1190 B.C.E.). While the provenance of this ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is unknown, it is assumed that it was originally from Rameses IIโs ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ original tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ (KV 7).
Rameses IIโs ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ was plundered in the 20th Dynasty, and only three ๐ผ of his wooden ๐ฑ๐๐บ ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ figures remain! Tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ robbing during ancient Egyptian times was a huge problem even though the tombs ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ were โhiddenโ in the Valley of the Kings!
In 1049 B.C.E., the High Priest of Amun ordered Rameses IIโs ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ be moved from his original tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ and to the Royal Cache, a place where many royal ๐พ mummies ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ๐ช were re-buried in order to protect the mummies ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ๐ช from tomb robbers.ย
The wooden Ushabti of Rameses II with the Shabti Text carved into the wood
The text ๐๐๐ฅ on the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is a version of the โShabti Spellโ from Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead. This spell ๐๐๐ gives the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ the power to complete tasks (farming, manual labor, etc) for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ in the Field of Reeds ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ ฑ๐ฐ๐. I love how detailed the hieroglyphs are!
This ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ has a lot of mummiform details; it is wearing the nemes ๐๐ ๐ด head cloth and there is an intact Uraeus ๐๐๐๐๐ on his forehead. Like Osiris ๐น๐จ๐ญ, it is wearing a broad collar ๐ ฑ๐ด๐๐บ๐, and is holding the crook ๐พ and flail ๐ .
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.
Here is a video of me at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the Ushabti of Paser! This beautiful ๐ค๐๐ ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is on display in Gallery 122!
The blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ belongs to Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ! Objects made of faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ were thought to hold magical ๐๐๐ฟ๐ powers! The ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ served as substitutes for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐. They are usually inscribed with specific spells ๐๐๐๐ฆ which assigned each ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ to a certain task! Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ was one of the most prominent men of his time and he served under two ๐ป pharaohs ๐๐ป โ Seti I ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ and then Rameses II ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐. Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ served many different roles over twenty-five ๐๐๐พ years! He was vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ and one of his most famous works is the tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ of Seti I ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ in the Valley of the Kings! A vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ was the highest ranking official ๐ด๐๐ and was the most powerful position in the government, besides the pharaoh ๐๐ป. Not only was the vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ the most trusted advisor to the pharaoh ๐๐ป, but he also saw to the day-to-day operations of the government. The vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ was in charge of architecture, taxation, agriculture, military, judicial, financial, and many other things. Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ had many different titles, including โHigh Preist of Amun,โ โsuperintendent of every work of the king,โ and โchief of secrets of the hieroglyphs.โ Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ was my Nonnoโs absolute favorite non-royal, so itโs always so special to see objects that belonged to Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ in museums. This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost. #ancientEgypt#egyptianhistory#egyptianmythology#metropolitanmuseumofart#metmuseum#ancientegyptblog#egyptology#anticoegitto#ushabti
The blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ belongs to Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ! Objects made of faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ were thought to hold magical ๐๐๐ฟ๐ powers! The ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ served as substitutes for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐. They are usually inscribed with specific spells ๐๐๐๐ฆ which assigned each ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ to a certain task!
Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ was one of the most prominent men of his time and he served under two ๐ป pharaohs ๐๐ป – Seti I ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ and then Rameses II ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐. Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ served many different roles over twenty-five ๐๐๐พ years! He was vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ and one of his most famous works is the tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ of Seti I ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ in the Valley of the Kings! A vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ was the highest ranking official ๐ด๐๐ and was the most powerful position in the government, besides the pharaoh ๐๐ป.
Not only was the vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ the most trusted advisor to the pharaoh ๐๐ป, but he also saw to the day-to-day operations of the government. The vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ was in charge of architecture, taxation, agriculture, military, judicial, financial, and many other things.
Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ had many different titles, including โHigh Preist of Amun,โ โsuperintendent of every work of the king,โ and โchief of secrets of the hieroglyphs.โ
Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ was my Nonnoโs absolute favorite non-royal, so itโs always so special to see objects that belonged to Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ in museums.
This is my personal video, photograph, and original text. DO NOT repost.ย
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