Tag: osiris

“Royal and Divine Triad”

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 26, 2022

Triads (groups of three 𓏼) were popular among ancient Egyptian statuary and mythology. This piece from the Louvre is called the “Royal and Divine Triad” (Dynasty 19, New Kingdom c. 1279-1203 B.C.E.) because it represents three 𓏼 of the most powerful figures in the Egyptian pantheon. Rameses II 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓇳𓏺𓄟𓋴𓇓 or his son 𓅭 Merenptah 𓇳𓃒𓈖𓈘𓊹𓊹𓊹 is on the left, Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 is in the middle, while Horus 𓅃𓀭 is on the right. The pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was viewed as a god 𓊹 on Earth, Horus 𓅃𓀭 was the king of the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹, and Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 was lord 𓎟 of the afterlife.

I find this piece super interesting because the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 kind of inserted himself amongst the most famous of the Egyptian triads – Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 and Horus 𓅃𓀭 – who were supposed to represent the divine family (mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐, father 𓇋𓏏𓀀, and child 𓐍𓇌𓀕). In some instances (like with this statue), the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 would function as the child in the statue.

Not all triads represented families, though that was the most common. Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱, Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐, and Nefertem 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯 was a family triad that was extremely popular in Memphis. During the New Kingdom (around the time of Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓), the triad of Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖, Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛, and Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 became very popular due to the powerful nature of these three 𓏼 deities

Tags artifact, gods and goddesses, horus, louvre, osiris

Egyptian Artifacts

Osiride Statue of Hatshepsut

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 26, 2022

It’s been a little bit since I’ve spoke about Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪!! As many of you know, Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is my favorite pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and she has been an inspiration to me ever since I was a little kid! The “Hatshepsut Room” at the MET is my most favorite gallery in any museum that I’ve been to – I feel so lucky that it’s so close to me here in NY! I still get so excited every time I get to step into the gallery! It is breathtaking every single time! Even with the mask, I think it’s very easy to see just how happy I am in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏.

This is a bust of Pharaoh Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪, in the form of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 (Osiride). The statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 originally stood over 4.6 m (15 ft) high and is originally from Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐. This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 was not a free-standing statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾- it was actually carved from the blocks that were once part of the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐.

Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 holds the traditional crook 𓋾 and flail 𓌅 across her chest, along with an ankh 𓋹 and scepter 𓌀. In antiquity, Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 was wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt 𓄤𓋑 on her head. About twenty 𓎆𓎆 years after Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 died, these statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 were cut off of the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 and thrown into a pit near the entrance. The statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 remained buried until they were discovered by excavators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the 1930s.

Tags artifact, hatshepsut, osiris, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Bronze Statues of Osiris, Isis and Horus

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 25, 2022
2 Comments on Bronze Statues of Osiris, Isis and Horus

The Bronze Age started due to the rise in the Sumerian civilization in Mesopotamia. Due to war and trade, bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 was able to come to Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 around 700 B.C.E. and replace the traditional stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪 and clay statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾. The bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 pieces are great antiquities because they can preserve small details over long periods of time. Bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statuary 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 became very popular starting around the Third Intermediate Period (26th Dynasty), and became very abundant in the Ptolemaic Period, which resulted in mass production and a loss of craftsmanship and quality.

The image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 feeding Horus 𓅃𓀭 as a baby is one of the most popular images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of the Late Period through the Ptolemaic Period. Symbolically, Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 was thought to be the mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, and was often associated with motherhood, the protection of women 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐, and a user of magic. As Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 became a more popular religious figure, she was associated with cosmological order and was considered to be the embodiment of fate by the Romans. This image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of a mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 holding a child 𓐍𓇌𓀕 is thought to have inspired the well known Catholic images of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus as a baby.

Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 was one of the main figures of Egyptian religion. This is because Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 was the god 𓊹 of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and the ruler of the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐, and Egyptians spent their entire time living preparing for their death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and meeting with Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. When the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was alive, he was thought to be the living image 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹 of the God 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭, but more importantly when the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 died, he was thought to then become an Osiris-like figure.

Tags artifact, gods and goddesses, horus, isis, osiris

Egyptian Artifacts

Anubis and Osiris – Cool Pieces at the Petrie Museum

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 24, 2022

This photo 𓏏𓅱𓏏 has two 𓏻 cool things: an interesting limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 piece that represents Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 (left) and a wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 piece that represents Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 (right). While neither piece is “grand,” they pose some interesting questions because they are quite unique!

Let’s start with Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 (because he’s my favorite)! Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is seated on a shrine (very similar in style to one of his determinative “𓃣” hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪). The ears are strange here because they are beautifully 𓄤 carved, but the limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 between them was not cut away. Was this a stylistic choice or was the piece unfinished? We will probably never know! Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 was found at Saqqara and dates to the 26th Dynasty.

The Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 piece is also a bit strange. It is a large wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 figure that has been put into a base during modern times (to display easier). Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 is shown in his typical mummiform 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 way – wearing the Atef Crown 𓋚 and holding the crook 𓋾 and flail 𓌅 in his hands. What’s interesting is that the figure is very “blocky” – there are absolutely no fine details shown. Ancient Egyptian artists were known for fine details so again the question is: is the piece intended to look like this or is it incomplete? Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 is dated to the 30th Dynasty – Ptolemaic Period and was also found at Saqqara.

Also totally unrelated but you can see the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 necklace from my previous post in the background of this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏!!

Tags anubis, artifact, osiris, petrie museum

Reading Hieroglyphs

Osiris in Hieroglyphs

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 21, 2022

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

The inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 that you see in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 spells out the name 𓂋𓈖 of the god 𓊹 Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. “Osiris” is actually the Greek version of the name 𓂋𓈖; the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 probably would have pronounced his name 𓂋𓈖 like “Isr.”

There are a couple of different ways to write Osiris’ 𓁹𓊨𓀭 name 𓂋𓈖, but “𓁹𓊨𓀭” is the most common way! Other variations are:
𓇬𓈖𓈖𓄤𓀭
𓊩𓁹

Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 is considered one of the most important deities in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. While he is mostly known as the god 𓊹 of the underworld/afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 (Duat), but that he also controlled all life 𓋹𓈖𓐍 from the underworld 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. This means that Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 was associated with the annual flooding of the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 but also the growing vegetation and annual harvest. This makes sense since Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 is strongly connected with regeneration and rebirth, and the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 also associated the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 with these characteristics. Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 was even thrown into the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 after he was cut up by his brother 𓌢𓈖 Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣!

It was believed that every person, not just deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 pharaohs, became associated with Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 when they died! However people were not resurrected in this life 𓋹𓈖𓐍 (even Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 himself wasn’t technically resurrected), instead, the person was reborn into the next life and lived in the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐!

Tags gods and goddesses, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, osiris, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Djed Pillar Amulets

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 21, 2022

I absolutely love amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 because I love tiny 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 things! The MET has an incredible collection of amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪, and I feel like most people just walk by them because they’re so small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩! But even small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 objects can tell incredible stories about history!

In ancient Egyptian religion and culture, amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 were thought to have magical 𓎛𓂓𓄿𓏜 powers and bestow them upon its wearer. Worn by both the living and the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱, different amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 served various religious and protective functions. Amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 were usually made of faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼, which is a cheap and easy material to work with. Most faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 pieces have a green/blue 𓇅𓆓𓏛 color. This is because these colors were thought to represent life 𓋹 and regeneration.

The djed pillar 𓊽 was associated with Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 and his regenerative powers and is thus considered an amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 of power. The djed pillars 𓊽 are usually blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 or green 𓇅𓄿𓆓𓏛 in color to represent the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺. These amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 date back to the Old Kingdom, and were used throughout Egyptian history. In the New Kingdom, they were strung around the neck of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. In hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, the djed 𓊽 symbol means “stability” or “enduring.”

The djed pillar 𓊽 has also been thought to represent the spine of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, as referenced in The Book of the Dead: “Raise yourself up Osiris. You have your backbone once more, weary-hearted One; you have bones.”

Tags amulet, artifact, gods and goddesses, osiris, the met

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