Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Hippos and Hedgehogs!

There are a couple of things I always look for when I go to a museum and the blue ๐“‡…๐“†“๐“› faience ๐“‹ฃ๐“ˆ–๐“๐“ธ๐“ผ hippos ๐“Œ‰๐“๐“ƒฏ๐“ฆ are one of them! The little hedgehogs ๐“Ž›๐“ˆ–๐“๐“ญ๐“„›๐“ช in this display are a nice plus too because they are so cute!ย 

Hippos and Hedgehogs
Me with the Hippos and Hedgehogs at the Brooklyn Museum!

The the blue ๐“‡…๐“†“๐“› faience ๐“‹ฃ๐“ˆ–๐“๐“ธ๐“ผ hippo ๐“Œ‰๐“๐“ƒฏ๐“ฆ was made between the 12th and 17th Dynasties. In Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–, hippos ๐“Œ‰๐“๐“ƒฏ๐“ฆ were both feared and respected ๐“ˆ™๐“†‘๐“„…. They were feared because they were one of the most dangerous animals in the Nile Valley ๐“‡—. However, hippos ๐“Œ‰๐“๐“ƒฏ๐“ฆ were also thought to be powerful protectors ๐“…“๐“‚๐“Žก๐“€œ against evil ๐“ƒ€๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“๐“…จ! William has lotus flowers ๐“†ธ๐“ช painted all over him to associate it with rejuvenation! William is most likely painted blue ๐“‡…๐“†“๐“› to represent the Nile ๐“‡‹๐“๐“‚‹๐“…ฑ๐“ˆ—๐“ˆ˜๐“ˆ‡๐“บ and rebirth ๐“„Ÿ๐“ฟ๐“…ฑ.

Hippos and Hedgehogs
Hippos and Hedgehogs!

In ancient Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–, the hedgehog ๐“Ž›๐“ˆ–๐“๐“ญ๐“„› was associated with rebirth ๐“„Ÿ๐“ฟ๐“…ฑ, which is a concept central to the ancient Egyptian religion. This association occurred because when food ๐“‡ฌ๐“€๐“…ฑ๐“”๐“ฅ is scarce, hedgehogs ๐“Ž›๐“ˆ–๐“๐“ญ๐“„›๐“ช will retreat into their underground burrows for long periods of time. Hedgehogs ๐“Ž›๐“ˆ–๐“๐“ญ๐“„›๐“ช only re-emerge from their burrows during times of food ๐“‡ฌ๐“€๐“…ฑ๐“”๐“ฅ abundance. This disappearing/appearing pattern strongly correlated with the concept of rebirth ๐“„Ÿ๐“ฟ๐“…ฑ to the ancient Egyptians. 

The hedgehogs ๐“Ž›๐“ˆ–๐“๐“ญ๐“„›๐“ช in this display are made out of blue ๐“‡…๐“†“๐“› faience ๐“‹ฃ๐“ˆ–๐“๐“ธ๐“ผ just like the hippopotamus ๐“Œ‰๐“๐“ƒฏ!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogย 

Categories
Video

Wooden Statue of Anubis (Video)

This wooden ๐“†ฑ๐“๐“บ statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ of Anubis ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ at the Brooklyn Museum is one of my favorites!

This statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ shows Anubis ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ in his jackal ๐“Šƒ๐“„ฟ๐“ƒ€๐“ƒฅ form. The recumbent position is representative of him guarding the necropolis ๐“‹ด๐“ˆ–๐“Šผ from high above on a hill ๐“ˆŽ๐“„ฟ๐“„ฟ๐“ŠŽ or mountain ๐“ˆ‹๐“…ณ- as was his role as the god ๐“Šน of cemeteries and mummification ๐“‹ด๐“‚ง๐“๐“…ฑ๐“Ž.

Another one of Anubisโ€™ ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ titles is โ€œupon his hill/mountain ๐“ถ๐“บ๐“ˆ‹๐“†‘โ€ and this hieroglyphic ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช phrase usually follows his name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– in dedication texts! Again, this is representative of Anubisโ€™ ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ role as protector ๐“…“๐“‚๐“Žก๐“€œ of the dead ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ; he was always standing watch from above! 

This piece is dated to the Late Period or Ptolemaic Period (c. 664-30 B.C.E.), which is when wooden ๐“†ฑ๐“๐“บ statues ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ๐“ช of Anubis ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ in this style became extremely popular!

This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogย 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Book of the Dead of Sobekmose

One of the greatest aspects of the Brooklyn Museumโ€™s Egyptian collection is The Book of the Dead ๐“‰๐“‚‹๐“๐“‚ป๐“…“๐“‰”๐“‚‹๐“ฒ๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“ผ๐“บ for a man named Sobekmose, who had the title โ€œGoldworker of Amun.โ€ Sobekmose was buried in Memphis ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹๐“‰ด๐“Š– and that is where this papyrus ๐“…“๐“‘๐“๐“› was found. This Book of the Dead ๐“‰๐“‚‹๐“๐“‚ป๐“…“๐“‰”๐“‚‹๐“ฒ๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“ผ๐“บ dates to the 18th Dynasty (early New Kingdom 1500-1480 B.C.E.).ย 

Book of the Dead of Sobekmose
Me with the Book of the Dead of Sobekmose at the Brooklyn Museum

This Book of the Dead ๐“‰๐“‚‹๐“๐“‚ป๐“…“๐“‰”๐“‚‹๐“ฒ๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“ผ๐“บ is displayed as one complete papyrus ๐“…“๐“‘๐“๐“› which is incredible to see! The papyrus ๐“…“๐“‘๐“๐“› is curved, due to either 1) being made that way or 2) getting warped over thousands of years being rolled up in a tomb ๐“‡‹๐“‡ฉ๐“Šƒ๐“‰! 

The Book of the Dead ๐“‰๐“‚‹๐“๐“‚ป๐“…“๐“‰”๐“‚‹๐“ฒ๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“ผ๐“บ is interesting because it doesn’t follow a particular story.ย  The spells ๐“Ž›๐“‚“๐“›๐“ฆ do seem to be grouped by theme, and sometimes pictures ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“ฆ can be representative of the spells ๐“Ž›๐“‚“๐“›๐“ฆ as well.

Book of the Dead of Sobekmose
The Book of the Dead of Sobekmose with Hieratic script

Hieratic is the script that this Book of the Dead ๐“‰๐“‚‹๐“๐“‚ป๐“…“๐“‰”๐“‚‹๐“ฒ๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“ผ๐“บ is written in – don’t ask me to translate, because I can’t read Hieratic well at all! While Hieratic is another way to write the Middle Egyptian language, some of the symbols look VERY different and have evolved over time – it is definitely difficult to learn! Much like hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช, Hieratic can be read from top to bottom, right to left or left to right.ย 

Book of the Dead of Sobekmose
The Book of the Dead of Sobekmose with Hieratic script in black and red ink

Some of the Hieratic is in black ๐“†Ž๐“…“ ink while some of it is in red ๐“‚ง๐“ˆ™๐“‚‹๐“…Ÿ.  The red ๐“‚ง๐“ˆ™๐“‚‹๐“…Ÿ ink seems to symbolize either the beginning or the end ๐“Žผ๐“‚‹๐“Ž›๐“‚๐“› of a spell ๐“Ž›๐“‚“๐“›, or it could highlight a word for a noun that was considered “bad” in Egyptian culture. However, sometimes even “offering table ๐“‚๐“ƒ€๐“…ก๐“„ฟ๐“‹ƒ” could have been written/drawn in red ๐“‚ง๐“ˆ™๐“‚‹๐“…Ÿ and offering tables ๐“‚๐“ƒ€๐“…ก๐“„ฟ๐“‹ƒ were not bad at all!  So, some of the red ๐“‚ง๐“ˆ™๐“‚‹๐“…Ÿ ink seems kinda random. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogย 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Amun-Ra or Pharaoh Amenhotep III?

This quartzite statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ at the Brooklyn Museum is called โ€œAmun-Ra ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ๐“บ or Pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป Amenhotep III ๐“‡ณ๐“ง๐“Ž โ€ and while small ๐“ˆ–๐“†“๐“‹ด๐“…ฉ, it certainly gives us a lot to think about! I think that this statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ is a representation of Amenhotep III ๐“‡ณ๐“ง๐“Ž  for a couple of reasons!ย 

Amun-Ra or Pharaoh Amenhotep III
Statue of Amun-Ra or Pharaoh Amenhotep III at the Brooklyn Museum

The first and most obvious reason are the hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช on his chest ornament, which is on top of an elaborately carved broad collar ๐“…ฑ๐“‹ด๐“๐“Žบ๐“‹. While the hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช are difficult to see in the picture ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“, here is the translation: 

๐“‡ณ๐“ง๐“Ž  – Nebmaatra (Amenhotep IIIโ€™s throne name)

๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ๐“บ – Amun-Ra

๐“Œธ – Beloved

So the full translation would be โ€œNebmaatra, Beloved of Amun-Ra.โ€ This clearly labels the statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ as being of Amenhotep III ๐“‡ณ๐“ง๐“Ž . 

Amun-Ra or Pharaoh Amenhotep III
Me with the statue of Amun-Ra or Pharaoh Amenhotep III at the Brooklyn Museum

The statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ does have a some similarities to the representation of the god ๐“Šน Amun-Ra ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ๐“บ too, especially the remnants of the crown on his head, which is the same two-plume crown ๐“‹› that is characteristic of Amun-Ra ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ๐“บ. 

Amenhotep III ๐“‡ณ๐“ง๐“Ž  seems to have had a fascination with Amun-Ra ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ๐“บ, and probably wanted to be depicted as him. Many Egyptologists wonder if Amenhotep IIIโ€™s ๐“‡ณ๐“ง๐“Ž  fascination with this solar deity was inspiration for his son ๐“…ญ Akhenatenโ€™s ๐“‡‹๐“๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ๐“…œ๐“๐“ˆ– religious revolution. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Ptolemaic Statue of Anubis

This wooden ๐“†ฑ๐“๐“บ statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ of Anubis ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ at the Brooklyn Museum is similar to the one I posted from the MET yesterday ๐“‹ด๐“†‘๐“‡ณ! I love seeing โ€œsisterโ€ pieces across museums!ย 

Ptolemaic Statue of Anubis
Ptolemaic Statue of Anubis at the Brooklyn Museum

This piece is dated to the Late Period or Ptolemaic Period (c. 664-30 B.C.E.), which is when wooden ๐“†ฑ๐“๐“บ statues ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ๐“ช of Anubis ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ in this style became extremely popular! This piece was likely found at Saqqara, which in ancient Egyptian times was called Memphis ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹๐“‰ด๐“Š–. 

I also love this statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ because it is very similar to Anubisโ€™ ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ determinative hieroglyph ๐“ƒฃ (which is my favorite hieroglyphic ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช symbol) and itโ€™s almost identical to the โ€˜recumbent jackal ๐“ƒขโ€ sign! The recumbent position is representative of him guarding the necropolis ๐“‹ด๐“ˆ–๐“Šผ from high above on a hill ๐“ˆŽ๐“„ฟ๐“„ฟ๐“ŠŽ or mountain ๐“ˆ‹๐“…ณ- as was his role as the god ๐“Šน of cemeteries and mummification ๐“‹ด๐“‚ง๐“๐“…ฑ๐“Ž.

Ptolemaic Statue of Anubis
Ptolemaic Statue of Anubis at the Brooklyn Museum

Anubis ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ, despite being associated with death ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ, was a very positive figure in Egyptian religion. In Egyptian mythology, he played the vital role in the mummification ๐“‹ด๐“‚ง๐“๐“…ฑ๐“Ž of the god ๐“Šน Osiris ๐“น๐“Šจ๐“€ญ and weighed the heart ๐“‡‹๐“ƒ€๐“„ฃ of the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ against Maatโ€™s ๐“™๐“Œด๐“‚ฃ๐“๐“ฆ feather ๐“†„๐“บ in the Weighing of the Heart! In modern pop culture, Anubis is usually the โ€œvillainโ€ when in reality he was a highly regarded and peaceful god ๐“Šน! 

Basically, I love anything to do with Anubis ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ! Seeing a well preserved statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ of him, or hieroglyphic ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช symbols of his name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– in inscriptions ๐“Ÿ๐“›๐“ฅ makes me really happy ๐“„ซ๐“๐“„ฃ and excited. Itโ€™s like seeing an old friend ๐“ˆ˜๐“ˆ‡๐“€€๐“! 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.ย 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Soul of Pe

This bronze ๐“ˆ”๐“ค๐“ˆ’๐“ฆ kneeling statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ of a falcon ๐“ƒ€๐“‡‹๐“Žก๐“…„ deity ๐“Šน is referred to as the โ€œSoul of Peโ€ and it is actually another way to depict the god ๐“Šน Horus ๐“…ƒ๐“€ญ. Also known as โ€œHorus of Pe,โ€ these bronze ๐“ˆ”๐“ค๐“ˆ’๐“ฆ statues ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ๐“ช became popular during the Late Period, after 600 B.C.E.ย 

Soul of Pe
Bronze Soul of Pe statue on display at the Brooklyn Museum

The Souls ๐“‚“๐“‚“๐“‚“ of Pe ๐“Šช๐“Š– and Nekhen ๐“Š”๐“ˆ–๐“Š– were first mentioned in the Pyramid Texts and are referred to as the ancestors of the pharaohs ๐“‰๐“‰ป๐“ฅ. The Souls ๐“‚“๐“‚“๐“‚“ of Pe ๐“Šช๐“Š– and Nekhen ๐“Š”๐“ˆ–๐“Š– symbolized the predynastic rulers of Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–. The Souls ๐“‚“๐“‚“๐“‚“ of Pe ๐“Šช๐“Š– and Nekhen ๐“Š”๐“ˆ–๐“Š– were thought of as very powerful deities ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน that not only aided the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ pharaohs ๐“‰๐“‰ป๐“ฅ, but also the current living ๐“†ฃ๐“‚‹๐“€€๐“ช pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป. 

Nekhen ๐“Š”๐“ˆ–๐“Š– and Pe ๐“Šช๐“Š– were both cities in Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š– and were around as early as the predynastic period.  Nekhen ๐“Š”๐“ˆ–๐“Š– was originally the cult center for the god ๐“Šน Horus in Upper Egypt ๐“‡“, however, Pe a town in Lower Egypt ๐“†ค, was awarded to Horus ๐“…ƒ๐“€ญ by Ra ๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“› after his eye was injured during his battle with Seth ๐“Šƒ๐“๐“„ก๐“ฃ for the throne of Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–. 

In this particular statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ, Horus ๐“…ƒ๐“€ญ/Soul of Pe ๐“Šช๐“Š– is shown in a characteristic kneeling position with one arm raised, with the other resting on his chest. This is known as a โ€œjubilation position,โ€ which is meant to show the Soul of Pe ๐“Šช๐“Š– celebrating the rising of the sun ๐“†„๐“…ฑ๐“‡ถ. The Soul of Pe ๐“Šช๐“Š– is usually represented as Horus ๐“…ƒ๐“€ญ the Falcon ๐“ƒ€๐“‡‹๐“Žก๐“…„, while the Soul of Nekhen ๐“Š”๐“ˆ–๐“Š– is usually represented as a jackal ๐“Šƒ๐“„ฟ๐“ƒ€๐“ƒฅ. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Steatite Scarab Ring

This mounted steatite ๐“…ฎ๐“ˆŽ๐“๐“ˆ’๐“ŠŒ scarab ๐“๐“Šช๐“‚‹๐“‚‹๐“†ฃ ring ๐“‚๐“ˆ–๐“๐“‹ช inscribed with the throne name cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท of the pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป Thutmosis III ๐“‡ณ๐“ ๐“†ฃ is a stunning example of the scarabs ๐“๐“Šช๐“‚‹๐“‚‹๐“†ฃ๐“ช that were made during this time period. Some Egyptologists state that the scarabs ๐“๐“Šช๐“‚‹๐“‚‹๐“†ฃ๐“ช made during the Hatshepsut ๐“‡ณ๐“ฆ๐“‚“/Thutmosis III ๐“‡ณ๐“ ๐“†ฃ era were some of the finest ever made, and I happen to agree!ย 

Steatite Scarab Ring
Steatite Scarab Ring inscribed with the throne name of pharaoh Thutmosis III

Letโ€™s read some hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช! 

The name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– Menkhepperra ๐“‡ณ๐“ ๐“†ฃ translates to โ€œLasting is the Manifestation of Ra.โ€ This cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท appears twice on the scarab ๐“๐“Šช๐“‚‹๐“‚‹๐“†ฃ! 

๐“‡ณ – Ra

๐“  – Lasting

๐“†ฃ – Manifestation

The word โ€œEternity ๐“†–โ€ also appears on the Scarab ๐“๐“Šช๐“‚‹๐“‚‹๐“†ฃ. 

In the middle of the scarab ๐“๐“Šช๐“‚‹๐“‚‹๐“†ฃ there is also the โ€œGold Falcon/Gold Horus ๐“…‰โ€ symbol which shows a falcon ๐“…ƒ standing on the hieroglyphic symbol for โ€œgold ๐“‹ž.โ€ Usually the Gold Falcon ๐“…‰ is one of the five names of the pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป and is the third part of the royal titularly. Thutmosis IIIโ€™s Gold Falcon name is โ€œ๐“…‰๐“‚ฆ๐“‚‹๐“›๐“ˆ๐“…ฑ๐“›๐“ฆ Djoser Khauโ€ which translates to โ€œSacred of Appearances.โ€ Obviously this full name does not appear on the Scarab ๐“๐“Šช๐“‚‹๐“‚‹๐“†ฃ, but the Gold Falcon ๐“…‰ symbolizes kingship ๐“‡“๐“‡Œ. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.ย 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Animal Mummies

I have mentioned in many previous posts that I have loved mummies ๐“‡‹๐“น๐“…ฑ๐“€พ๐“ช ever since my Nonno introduced me to ancient Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š– when I was a little girl! Although animal mummies are the most common form of Egyptian artifact (seven million dog ๐“ƒ€๐“Ž›๐“ˆ–๐“ƒก mummies have been found in Saqqara alone), they are among the least understood of all objects.

Animal Mummies
A dog (left) and a cat (right) mummy on display at the Brooklyn Museum

At the Brooklyn Museum, they have a couple of animal mummies which are in the picture ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“ here! On the left is a dog ๐“ƒ€๐“Ž›๐“ˆ–๐“ƒก mummy, and on the right is a cat ๐“…“๐“‡‹๐“…ฑ๐“ƒ  mummy.ย The level of preservation of these mummies is exquisite!

It is well documented that the ancient Egyptians kept dogs ๐“ƒ€๐“Ž›๐“ˆ–๐“ƒก๐“ฆ and cats ๐“…“๐“‡‹๐“…ฑ๐“ƒ ๐“ช as pets. In tombs ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰๐“ฅ, many times dogs ๐“ƒ€๐“Ž›๐“ˆ–๐“ƒก๐“ฆ and cats ๐“…“๐“‡‹๐“…ฑ๐“ƒ ๐“ช have been found buried with their owners! Dogs ๐“ƒ€๐“Ž›๐“ˆ–๐“ƒก๐“ฆ have also been mentioned on funerary stela ๐“Ž—๐“…ฑ๐“†“๐“‰ธ along with other family members! The thought is that the pet and the owner would be able to stay together ๐“ˆ–๐“Š— in the afterlife ๐“‡ผ๐“„ฟ๐“๐“‰ if they were buried together ๐“ˆ–๐“Š—.

One of the possible explanations of the significance of animal mummies can be tied to the Egyptian cultural aspect surrounding animals. Believe it or not, there is no Middle Egyptian word for โ€œanimalโ€ – there was the word ๐“Œš๐“…“๐“„› but it translates more accurately to โ€œbeastโ€ then all animals in general. The Egyptians didnโ€™t think of animals as โ€œlessโ€ than humans – Animals were living things that contained a ba ๐“…ก๐“บ (part of the soul ๐“‚“ that is active in this world and the spiritual world). They could become gods ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน through death ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ and mummification ๐“‹ด๐“‚ง๐“๐“…ฑ๐“Ž just like humans. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.ย 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Professional Mourners

While preparing for death ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ was an essential part of life on Earth ๐“‡พ๐“‡พ for the ancient Egyptians ๐“†Ž๐“๐“€€๐“๐“ช, it doesnโ€™t mean that they werenโ€™t upset by the death ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ of a loved one. Wealthier Egyptians ๐“†Ž๐“๐“€€๐“๐“ช were able to hire professional mourners ๐“‡‹๐“Žก๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ญ๐“€ ๐“ช/๐“‡‹๐“Žก๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ญ๐“๐“ช for their funerals and those mourners could be men (๐“‡‹๐“Žก๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ญ๐“€ ๐“ช) or women (๐“‡‹๐“Žก๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ญ๐“๐“ช).ย 

Professional Mourners
A limestone relief from a tomb which shows Professional Mourners outside the entrance to a tomb.

In the case of this sunken limestone ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“Œ‰ relief, there are three ๐“ผ female mourners ๐“‡‹๐“Žก๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ญ๐“๐“ช present – two ๐“ป are sitting and one ๐“บ is standing. Only one of the female figures is fully preserved. At funerals, the professional mourners ๐“‡‹๐“Žก๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ญ๐“๐“ช were hired to sing and cry. 

The three ๐“ผ mourners ๐“‡‹๐“Žก๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ญ๐“๐“ช are in front of a tomb ๐“‡‹๐“‡ฉ๐“Šƒ๐“‰ entrance, which looks like the โ€œshrine facade ๐“‰ฑโ€ hieroglyphic symbol. 

The entrance to the tomb ๐“‡‹๐“‡ฉ๐“Šƒ๐“‰ has plants ๐“†พ๐“†ฐ๐“†ฐ๐“†ฐ and offerings ๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช๐“๐“”๐“ฆ for the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ in front of it. I also like the column ๐“…ฑ๐“๐“‡‹๐“‡… that is added to this relief. 

Reliefs such as these served the purpose of ensuring perpetual mourning for the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ. If there was mourning present on the reliefs within a tomb ๐“‡‹๐“‡ฉ๐“Šƒ๐“‰, it meant that the mourning would go on for all ๐“ŽŸ eternity ๐“†–. 

On a personal note, this relief really speaks to me because this account on the most basic level is a manifestation of my grief. I started this account as a way to try and cope with my Nonnoโ€™s death, and over three years later itโ€™s still helping me to do that. I see the three people in this relief as me, my sister and my brother. It’s incredible how I can deeply relate to a tomb relief from ancient Egypt. 

This piece is from Memphis ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹๐“‰ด๐“Š– (present day Saqqara) and is dated to Dynasty 19 (c. 1295-1190 B.C.E.). 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Coffin of Nespanetjerenpere (Part II)

This mummy case ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ belonged to a priest ๐“Šน๐“› named ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– Nespanetjerenpere and is on display at the Brooklyn Museum. Yesterday ๐“‹ด๐“†‘๐“‡ณ we looked at the front, and today ๐“‡๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ we are going to look at the back!

Coffin of Nespanetjerenpere
Me with the back of the Coffin of Nespanetjerenpere at the Brooklyn Museum

On the back, the gods ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน Horus ๐“…ƒ๐“€ญ and Thoth ๐“…ค๐“€ญ are depicted. On the left, the ibis ๐“‰”๐“ƒ€๐“…ค headed god ๐“Šน Thoth ๐“…ค๐“€ญ, and the god ๐“Šน of writing is shown. On the right is Horus ๐“…ƒ๐“€ญ, who is the falcon ๐“ƒ€๐“‡‹๐“Žก๐“…„ headed god ๐“Šน and the embodiment of divine kingship. He was considered to be the god ๐“Šน of the pharaohs ๐“‰๐“‰ป๐“ฅ and the โ€œLord of the Sky ๐“ŽŸ๐“Šช๐“๐“‡ฏ.โ€

Thoth ๐“…ค๐“€ญ and Horus ๐“…ƒ๐“€ญ are seen holding a Djed pillar ๐“Šฝ, which is the symbol of stability. The Djed pillar ๐“Šฝ is thought to be the spine ๐“‡‹๐“„ฟ๐“๐“„ฆ of Osiris ๐“น๐“Šจ๐“€ญ. The Djed pillar ๐“Šฝ, shown here is even wearing the Atef crown ๐“‹š, which is the crown that Osiris ๐“น๐“Šจ๐“€ญ wears.ย 

Coffin of Nespanetjerenpere
The back of the Coffin of Nespanetjerenpere, showing Thoth (left), the djed pillar (center) and Horus (right)

It is very symbolic that this image ๐“…ฑ๐“๐“…ฑ appears where the spine ๐“‡‹๐“„ฟ๐“๐“„ฆ of the mummy ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ would be. It can be interpreted that Thoth ๐“…ค๐“€ญ and Horus ๐“…ƒ๐“€ญare supporting the spine ๐“‡‹๐“„ฟ๐“๐“„ฆ of the deceased person. 

When a person died ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ and became โ€œThe Osiris,โ€ The Djed Pillar ๐“Šฝ was then thought to represent their spine ๐“‡‹๐“„ฟ๐“๐“„ฆ! The spine ๐“‡‹๐“„ฟ๐“๐“„ฆ was thought to keep Osiris ๐“น๐“Šจ๐“€ญ upright and able to function as the primary god ๐“Šน of the dead ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ. This is even referenced in the The Book of the Dead: โ€œRaise yourself up Osiris. You have your backbone once more, weary-hearted One; you have bones.โ€ 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.