Tag: louvre

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Egyptian Artifacts

Bronze Statues of Hathor, Amun and Osiris

My Nonno always loved the bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 of the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏! Bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statuary 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 became very popular starting around the Third Intermediate Period (26th Dynasty), and became very abundant in the Ptolemaic Period.

In this display at the Louvre, Hathor 𓉡, Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓀭, and Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 are shown! 

Hathor 𓉡 is one of the most prominent goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 of the Egyptian pantheon. Along with Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, she is regarded as the “divine mother” of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, but is also the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of love, joy, music, and dance – basically the fun things in life! Hathor is also the wife of Horus 𓅃𓀭, and the daughter of Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛. Hathor 𓉡 is usually associated with cows 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒𓏦 and can take the form of a cow 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒 in many forms of Egyptian art.

Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓀭 is also considered to be one of the most important gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 in the Egyptian pantheon and was first mentioned in the Pyramid Texts. Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓀭 had many different roles and was worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀢 as a creator god, solar god, fertility god, warrior god, and king of the gods. Amun’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓀭 is also considered the “universal god” meaning that his power permeated the cosmos and all that the cosmos contained! 

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. 

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Egyptian Artifacts

Wooden Boat Models

I absolutely love the wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 models. I could literally spend hours just looking at them!

Wooden Boat Models at the Louvre (featuring Nonno’s reflection)

Wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models were very popular in the Middle Kingdom and were usually put in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐. The boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦 were symbolic, and were meant to help the deceased on their journey in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. When a person died, their body was carried in a boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 across the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 in a symbolic representation of the journey of the soul 𓂓- from the land of the living to the land of the dead 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. This directly mirrors Ra’s 𓇳𓏺𓁛 daily journey across the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯.

Tombs usually contained two 𓏻 boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦: one sailing in a northward direction, and one sailing in a southward direction.

So many wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 model boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦 have been found because boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦 were essential to daily Egyptian life along the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺. Boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦 were not only essential for transporting people, goods and construction materials, but also for the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and their journeys as well.

This particular boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 is so beautiful 𓄤 because so many of the oarsmen are there! I also love this picture because my Nonno took it – you can even see his reflection in the glass 💙.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabtis of Paser

While my favorite non-royal has always been Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 due to his prominence and importance during Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 reign, my Nonno’s favorite has always been Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽. These are some of Paser’s 𓅮𓀙𓀽 ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾. The ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 served as substitutes for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. They are usually inscribed with spells which are specific to a certain task!

Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 was one of the most prominent men of his time and he served under two 𓏻 pharaohs 𓉐𓉻 – Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 and then Rameses II 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖.

Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 served many different roles over twenty-five 𓎆𓎆𓏾 years! He was vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 and one of his most famous works is the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 in the Valley of the Kings! A vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 was the highest ranking official 𓋴𓂋𓀀 and was the most powerful position in the government, besides the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. Not only was the vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 the most trusted advisor to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, but he also saw to the day-to-day operations of the government. The vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 was in charge of architecture, taxation, agriculture, military, judicial, financial, and many other things. Honestly that sounds exhausting 😂!

Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 had many different titles, including “High Preist of Amun,” “superintendent of every work of the king,” and “chief of secrets of the hieroglyphs.”

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Egyptian Artifacts

Wooden Statues of Isis and Nephthys

This post will be about two statues from different museums that are very similar!

This is a wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 dated from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period. I am always amazed when wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statues are in such great condition – even though the paint is chipping in some places, the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 still retained much of its original color!

Wooden Statue of Nephthys at the Brooklyn Museum

Along with her sister 𓌢𓈖𓏏 Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 was a protector 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 of the dead and this statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 was most likely used for funerary purposes. The crown on her head is one of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 that is used in her name (𓉠), which makes Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 very easy to identify in tomb art/funerary art. Her hand/arm 𓂝𓏺 is raised in what is thought to me a mourning position, and this statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 was most likely placed in a tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐.

Nephthys’ 𓉠𓏏𓆇 title was “Mistress of the House 𓎟𓏏𓉐𓏺.” Her name 𓂋𓈖 could also be written as 𓎟𓏏𓉗𓏏𓏒𓏯𓆗. The three 𓏼 symbols “𓎟𓏏𓉗” can be combined to make the “𓉠” symbol, which is not only the crown, but a space saver when writing out hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Nephthys’ 𓉠𓏏𓆇 hair is blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 because it was supposed to be the same color as lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧! Lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧 is a stone (usually found in modern day Afghanistan) and was considered to be worth more than gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 by the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 because it had to be traded for! Many of the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 were thought to have blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧 hair!

This is a wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 is dated from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period. Once again, this wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statue is in such great condition! When I saw the statue of Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 in the Brooklyn Museum, it immediately reminded me of this statue of Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 at the Louvre!

Wooden Statue of Isis at the Louvre

Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 was a protector 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 of the dead and the wife to Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 was most likely used for funerary purposes. Her hands/arms 𓂝𓏦 are raised in what is thought to be a mourning position, and this statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 was most likely placed in a tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐.

The crown on her head is one of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 that is used in her name (𓊨), which makes Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 very easy to identify in tomb art/funerary art. Isis can also be written as 𓊨𓏏𓆗 or 𓄿𓊨𓏏𓁥, but no matter what, the “𓊨” always appears in her name 𓂋𓈖!

Much like the statue of Nephthys’ 𓉠𓏏𓆇 from the Brooklyn Museum, Isis’ 𓊨𓏏𓁥 hair is blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 because it was supposed to be the same color as lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧! Many of the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 were thought to have blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧 hair!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Limestone Sculpture of the Goddess Hathor

This limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 sculpture of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Hathor 𓉡 is one of my favorite pieces that I saw in the Louvre. This piece is dated to the Ptolemaic Period, and used to be part of a column.

Hathor’s 𓉡 name 𓂋𓈖 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 is quite unique compared to some of the other gods/goddesses. Her name 𓂋𓈖 is composed of a composite hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 which literally translates to “House of Horus.” Hathor 𓉡 was the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of women 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐𓏪, motherhood, joy, music 𓉔𓇌𓆸, happiness 𓄫𓅱𓏛, and a goddess 𓊹𓏏 of the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.

One detail that I love about this piece is that Hathor 𓉡 is shown with her cow ears! Hathor 𓉡 was usually depicted in Egyptian art as either a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 or a cow 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒, so this little detail is just so cool! Another detail that I love is how her wig is decorated with rosettes! The details are in raised relief, which only make them stand out more.

In Middle Egyptian, the words “beautiful woman” and “cow” were the same – the only thing that was different was the determinative symbol! This was most likely due to an association with Hathor 𓉡, and to this day remains one of my favorite “fun facts” about hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓁐 (beautiful woman)
𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒 (cow)

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Reading Hieroglyphs

Limestone Relief of Montuhotep II

This limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 relief of Montuhotep II 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 (11th Dynasty) is gorgeous 𓄤 because the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are so beautifully 𓄤 carved! It’s amazing how pieces that are so old can be in such amazing condition!

This piece is interesting because the direction that you read the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 from keeps changing! The two 𓏻 lines I’m going to translate are actually from different inscriptions!!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓆥𓅭𓇳(𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪)𓅒𓄥𓇿𓇿𓏙𓋹𓊽𓌀 – “King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Son of Ra, Montuhotep II, Uniter of the Two Lands, Given Life, Stability and Strength”

𓆓𓌃𓇋𓈖𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱 – “Words Spoken By Montu”

The phrase 𓅒𓄥𓇿𓇿 “Uniter of the Two Lands” is a variant of Mentuhotep II’s 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 Nebty Name. The Nebty Name is honestly more of a title than a name. It means “two ladies” and that refers to the goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 Nekhbet 𓇑𓃀𓏏𓅐𓎟 and Wadjet 𓇅𓇌𓏏𓆘, who can both be represented by the hieroglyph “ 𓅒.” Nekhbet 𓇑𓃀𓏏𓅐𓎟 is a goddess 𓊹𓏏 of Upper Egypt and is represented by the vulture while Wadjet 𓇅𓇌𓏏𓆘 is a goddess 𓊹𓏏 of Lower Egypt and is represented by the cobra. Showing the two 𓏻 goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 together represented a unified Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.

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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”

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Egyptian Artifacts

“Royal and Divine Triad”

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

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Egyptian Artifacts

Relief of the God Horus

Here is a sunken relief of the god 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭 in white 𓌉𓆓𓇳 limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 at the Louvre! This is a simple but beautiful 𓄤 piece!

Geology Lesson!!! Limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 was incredibly abundant in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 because about 500 million years ago (for perspective, the dinosaurs first started evolving around 250 million years ago), Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 was completely underwater! Limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 (and other sedimentary rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦) mostly form under large bodies of water like oceans and seas! If Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 didn’t have the abundance of limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 that it does, the Egyptian civilization would have been very different! The geology gave the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 the natural resources they needed to build the world’s most successful ancient civilization!

Egupt’s geologic history is also cool because the Egyptian creation myth says that everything started off as water 𓈗 and the primordial mound rose out of the primordial sea! The creation myth corresponds with Egypt’s 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 geologic past!

Horus 𓅃𓀭 was one of the most important gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 in the Egyptian pantheon. Horus 𓅃𓀭 was the mythological representation of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻/heir to the throne of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. He is usually represented as a human body with a falcon head. On his head, Horus is always seen wearing the double crown 𓋖, which is the combination of the white crown 𓋑 (𓄤𓋑) of Upper Egypt 𓇓 and the red crown 𓋔 (𓂧𓈙𓂋𓏏𓋔) of Lower Egypt 𓆤. The double crown 𓋖 was representative of a unified Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 under the pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 rule 𓋾.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Wooden Model Boats

I absolutely love the wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 models. I could literally spend hours just looking at them!

Wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models were very popular in the Middle Kingdom and were usually put in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐. The boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦 were symbolic, and were meant to help the deceased on their journey in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. When a person died, their body was carried in a boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 across the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 in a symbolic representation of the journey of the soul 𓂓- from the land of the living to the land of the dead 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. This directly mirrors Ra’s 𓇳𓏺𓁛 daily journey across the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯.

Tombs usually contained two 𓏻 boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦: one sailing in a northward direction, and one sailing in a southward direction.

So many wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 model boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦 have been found because boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦 were essential to daily Egyptian life along the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺. Boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦 were not only essential for transporting people, goods and construction materials, but also for the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and their journeys as well.

This particular boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 is so beautiful 𓄤 because so many of the oarsmen are there!