As part of my βUshabti Friendsβ series, I am teaching you how to look at the different characteristics of ushabtis π ±πππππΎ and how those characteristics can help you to narrow down the age/time period that the ushabti π ±πππππΎ is from!
18th Dynasty Ushabtis at the Brooklyn Museum
Both of these ushabtis π ±πππππΎ that we are going to look at today ππππ³ are from the Brooklyn Museum! Both of these ushabtis π ±πππππΎ are beautiful π€ππ and unique and are dated to the same time period even though they look different and are made of different materials! In the first image, the ushabti π ±πππππΎ on the left is made of limestone ππππ, while the painted ushabti π ±πππππΎ on the right is made of faience π£πππΈπΌ.
Both of these ushabtis are dated to the 18th Dynasty, but how do we know? Letβs go through the process of narrowing down the age:
In each hand, both of the ushabtis π ±πππππΎ are holding a hoe πΈ which is characteristic of ushabtis π ±πππππΎ that were made from the 18th Dynasty to the 25th Dynasty!Β
The real defining characteristic are the baskets that the ushabtis π ±πππππΎ are holding in each hand – this is only found on ushabtis π ±πππππΎ dated to the 18th Dynasty!
The Ushabti of Sati at the Brooklyn Museum (18th Dynasty Ushabtis)A closeup of the Ushabti of Sati holding a basket!
If you see a ushabti π ±πππππΎ and itβs holding a basket or a pot in each hand, it is an 18th Dynasty ushabti π ±πππππΎ!
Limestone ushabti at the Brooklyn MuseumA closeup of the limestone ushabti at the Brooklyn Museum which highlights the baskets that it is holding!
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Did you know that more statues πππππΎπͺ of Amenhotep III π³π§π have survived compared to any other 18th Dynasty pharaoh ππ»? One of the more interesting ones is this statuette of Amenhotep III π³π§π !
Did you know that more statues πππππΎπͺ of Amenhotep III π³π§π have survived compared to any other 18th Dynasty pharaoh ππ»? This is a very interesting statuette of Amenhotep III π³π§π ! Amenhotep the III π³π§π was the father πππ of the infamous pharaoh ππ» Akhenaten ππππ³π ππ. Akhenaten ππππ³π ππ was originally named Amenhotep IV ππ ππ΅πΉπΎπ, until he changed his name ππ to reflect the Aten ππππ³ and his change to the Egyptian religion. The first thing that struck me about this statuette was the artistic style. It seems to be very grounded in realism, which is odd because most pharaohs ππ»π¦ wanted to be depicted as being in peak physical condition. It also illustrates some aspects of Amarna-style art, such as the previously mentioned realism and the sagging/exaggerated belly. This piece almost seems to be a precursor to the Amarna-style. I find these transition-type pieces so interesting because it seems like the Amarna-style art came out of nowhere, however, pieces like this show us that was not the case. The statuette is made of ebony wood π±ππΊ and has glass inlaid eyes πΉππ¦ and eyebrows. It consists of the pharaoh standing on a base, and the base contains hieroglyphs πΉππͺ. The hieroglyphs πΉππͺ on the base are thought to refer to one of Amenhotep IIIβs π³π§π Heb Sed πππ΄π§ππ±π³πͺ festivals (he ruled for 38 years). The Heb Sed Festival πππ΄π§ππ±π³πͺ, also known as the β30 Year Jubilee,β was meant to celebrate the 30th year of a pharaohβs ππ» reign πΎππ and then subsequent years afterwards. The hieroglyphs πΉππͺ on the base also contain errors, which means it is probably of non-royal production. The exact purpose of the statuette is unknown, but it is thought that it could have been used in a household shrine ππΊ to the pharaoh ππ». Household ππΊ statues/shrines actually became popular during the reign of Akhenaten ππππ³π ππ. This would also support the idea that this was of non-royal production. Follow me to learn all about ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs, Egyptian mythology, art, culture and more! This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost. #ancientEgypt#egyptology#egyptianhistory#egyptianmythology#anticoegitto#brooklynmuseum#amenhotepiii#akhenaten#ancientegyptblog
This is a very interesting statuette of Amenhotep III π³π§π ! Amenhotep the III π³π§π was the father πππ of the infamous pharaoh ππ» Akhenaten ππππ³π ππ. Akhenaten ππππ³π ππ was originally named Amenhotep IV ππ ππ΅πΉπΎπ, until he changed his name ππ to reflect the Aten ππππ³ and his change to the Egyptian religion.
The first thing that struck me about this statuette was the artistic style. It seems to be very grounded in realism, which is odd because most pharaohs ππ»π¦ wanted to be depicted as being in peak physical condition. It also illustrates some aspects of Amarna-style art, such as the previously mentioned realism and the sagging/exaggerated belly.
This piece almost seems to be a precursor to the Amarna-style. I find these transition-type pieces so interesting because it seems like the Amarna-style art came out of nowhere, however, pieces like this show us that was not the case.
The statuette of Amenhotep III π³π§π is made of ebony wood π±ππΊ and has glass inlaid eyes πΉππ¦ and eyebrows. It consists of the pharaoh standing on a base, and the base contains hieroglyphs πΉππͺ.Β
The hieroglyphs πΉππͺ on the base are thought to refer to one of Amenhotep IIIβs π³π§π Heb Sed πππ΄π§ππ±π³πͺ festivals (he ruled for 38 years). The Heb Sed Festival πππ΄π§ππ±π³πͺ, also known as the β30 Year Jubilee,β was meant to celebrate the 30th year of a pharaohβs ππ» reign πΎππ and then subsequent years afterwards. The hieroglyphs πΉππͺ on the base also contain errors, which means it is probably of non-royal production.
The exact purpose of the statuette is unknown, but it is thought that it could have been used in a household shrine ππΊ to the pharaoh ππ». Household ππΊ statues/shrines actually became popular during the reign of Akhenaten ππππ³π ππ. This would also support the idea that this was of non-royal production.Β
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The god Geb π ¬ππ can be depicted in art in a couple of different ways!Β
Wereshnefer’s sarcophagus at the MET showing Geb and Nut
On Wereshnefer’s sarcophagus is one depiction: Nut πππ―π, the goddess πΉπ of the sky/cosmos πͺππ―, is seen as a woman arched over the rounded Earth πΎπΎ and is supported by Shu ππ ±π, the god πΉ of the atmosphere.Β At Nut’s πππ―π feet is Geb π ¬ππ who is represented by feet with two arms holding the rounded Earth πΎπΎ!Β
Wereshnefer’s sarcophagus at the MET showing Geb and Nut labeled with their names in heiroglyphs
On the painted depiction, Geb π ¬ππ is seen lying underneath the rest of the figures such as Nut πππ―π and Shu ππ ±π, the god πΉ of the atmosphere.Β
A painted sarcophagus at the Brooklyn Museum depicting Nut, Shu, Geb and KhnumA painted sarcophagus at the Brooklyn Museum depicting Nut, Shu, Geb and Khnum with their names labeled in hieroglyphs
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One of the greatest aspects of the Brooklyn Museumβs Egyptian collection is The Book of the Dead ππππ»π πππ²π³πΊπΌπΊ for a man named Sobekmose, who had the title βGoldworker of Amun.β Sobekmose was buried in Memphis π ππ€πππ΄π and that is where this papyrus π πππ was found. This Book of the Dead ππππ»π πππ²π³πΊπΌπΊ dates to the 18th Dynasty (early New Kingdom 1500-1480 B.C.E.).Β
The Book of the Dead ππππ»π πππ²π³πΊπΌπΊ is interesting because it doesn’t follow a particular story.Β The spells ππππ¦ do seem to be grouped by theme, and sometimes pictures ππ ±ππ¦ can be representative of the spells ππππ¦ as well.
The Book of the Dead ππππ»π πππ²π³πΊπΌπΊ contained instructions/spells ππππ¦ for the deceased π ππ± as they made their way through the Duat πΌπΏππ. The red π§πππ text that you see is used to indicate the start of a new spell πππ, the end of a spell πππ, or the names πππ₯ of certain mythological figures.
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Letβs read some Hieroglyphs πΉππͺ! What does the popular Middle Egyptian phrase βGodβs Mother πΉπ β mean? Before we delve into the meaning, letβs break down the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!Β
“God’s Mother” in raised relief on display at the MET
βGodβs Motherβ can be written three ways in hieroglyphs:
πΉππ
πΉπ π
πΉπ
This phrase is a combination of two different words: the word βGod πΉβ and the word βMother π ππ/π π/ππ π.β
The βcloth on a pole πΉβ hieroglyph is an ideogram for the word god. πΉ is also a triliteral phonogram, and represents the letters βntrβ which may have been pronounced like βneterβ or βnetjer.β πΉ Is also a determinative for βgod.β So the βcloth on a pole πΉβ symbol can function as all three types of hieroglyphs πΉππͺ! If you see this symbol, you are most likely looking at a word that has to do with the gods πΉπΉπΉ!
The βvulture π β is a triliteral phonogram and represents the sounds βmjt/mwtβ which we infer would be pronounced like βmut.β
The βflat loaf of bread πβ is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound βt.β
The phrase βGodβs Mother πΉπ β can have two different (but related) meanings in Middle Egyptian inscriptions. It can be used to refer to the goddess πΉπ Isis π¨ππ₯ and will usually appear after her name ππ in inscriptions. This is in reference to the fact that Isis π¨ππ₯ is the mother π ππ of Horus π π, who is the mythological ruler of Egypt ππ ππ and the pharaoh ππ» was thought to be a representation of Horus π π on Earth.
This brings us to the next meaning of this phrase! The phrase βGodβs Mother πΉπ β was an honorific title held by the woman who gave birth to the current pharaoh ππ»! Since the pharaoh ππ» was a god on Earth, the woman who gave birth to him/her was quite literally the Godβs Mother πΉπ !Β
Another variant of “God’s Mother” painted on a piece of a sarcophagus at the Brooklyn Museum
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How cute is this blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ faience π£πππΈπΌ statue ππ ±ππΎ of a monkey πΌπΏππΈ?
A blue faience monkey statue from Amarna on display at the Brooklyn Museum
This statue ππ ±ππΎ is from Amarna πππππππ and is dated to Akhenatenβs ππππ³π ππ reign πΎππ in the 18th Dynasty. This piece strikes me as interesting for an Amarna-era piece because it doesnβt look like the βtypicalβ Amarna-era art style! Itβs more realistic looking instead of having exaggerated features!Β
One really cool feature about this monkey πΌπΏππΈ statue ππ ±ππΎ is that his ears are pierced! Itβs possible that in antiquity the statue ππ ±ππΎ had earrings – how cool is that? The Brooklyn Museum has speculated that the presence of an earring would be an indication that this statue ππ ±ππΎ represented a household pet. If a person had a monkey πΌπΏππ as a household pet in ancient Egypt ππ ππ, that meant that the person was extremely wealthy because monkeys had to be imported into Egypt ππ ππ from far away and were extremely expensive!
The monkey π‘ππΈ also seems to be holding something round in his hands – my guess is that itβs some type of fruit!
There are a lot of different ways to write the word for βmonkeyβ in hieroglyphs πΉππͺ, however, a lot of these variants are similar except for the determinative used at the end! Hereβs a list of some of the variants here (there are actually too many to list):
πΌπΏππ»
πΌπΏππΈ
πΌπΏππ
πΌπΏππ
π‘ππΈ
πππππ»
Thank you to my sister π’πππ for taking this wonderful picture ππ ±π!
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Happy World Animal Day!Β Let’s learn about the significance of Animals in Ancient Egypt!
Me with a blue faience hippo at the Brooklyn Museum! The blue faience hippos are one of my absolute favorite types of artifacts!
Believe it or not, there is no Middle Egyptian word for βanimalβ – there was the word βππ πβ but it translates more accurately to βbeastβ than to all animals in general. What I love about language ππΊ is that even a small detail such as this can show us so much about the culture of the people who spoke it!Β
An ibis on display at the MET
In ancient Egypt ππ ππ, Animals were usually referred to by their name ππ instead of as a singular category. What I love about Middle Egyptian is that the name ππ the animal was given was sometimes very similar to the sound the animal made! For example, the Middle Egyptian word for cat is π ππ ±π (miu) which can be pronounced similarly to βmeow.β The word for dog is ππ ±ππ ±π₯ (iwiw) which can almost sound like βwoof woof.β
A cat mummy on display at the MET
Why is this significant? It shows that the Egyptians πππππͺ didnβt regard animals as different from humans or less than humans (unlike the Greeks and Romans, and eventually Western cultures). Animals were living things that contained a ba π ‘πΊ (part of the soul that is active in this world and the spiritual world). They could become gods πΉπΉπΉ through death π ππ± and mummification π΄π§ππ ±π just like humans.Β
Hathor in her cow form from the Book of the Dead of Imhotep at the MET
Animals like cats π ππ ±π πͺ, ibises πππ €πͺ, cows π€πππππ¦, snakes ππππππͺ, hippos πππ―π¦, and many others were held in high regard due to the gods πΉπΉπΉ and goddesses πΉπΉπΉπ who could take the form of those animals!Β
A fish bowl on display at the Brooklyn Museum
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My sister π’ππ has always said that this piece reminds her of the childrenβs book βThe Rainbow Fish,β and thanks to her thatβs how I always refer to this piece!Β
Do you think this little fish rattle at the Brooklyn Museum looks like The Rainbow Fish?
This beautifully π€ colored fish ππ π represents a tilapia πππππ! The Egyptians πππππͺ viewed the tilapia πππππ as a symbol of regeneration and rebirth ππΏπ ±. Both of these concepts were super important in the Egyptian religion, so they held tilapia πππππ in very high regard!
What is so cool about this piece is that it is actually a rattle! There are little clay πͺππ΄π pellets inside of it, which represents the eggs. This was most likely a ritual object; either played during childbirth or placed in a tomb ππ«ππ to help the deceased π ππ± with their rebirth ππΏπ ±!
The blue π ππ coloring on the fish ππ π is purely decorative as tilapia πππππ are not this color in real life! However, these particular colors used (blue π ππ, red π§πππ and black ππ ) are very typical of the color palette used at Amenhotep IIIβs π³π§π palace at Malqata and at Amarna πππππππ during Akhenatenβs ππππ³π ππ reign. This piece is estimated to be from the late 18th Dynasty and is thought to be from Saqqara π ππ€πππ΄π.
From a hieroglyphic standpoint, the tilapia symbol π is the main determinative for βfish ππ π!β This demonstrates just how important the Egyptians viewed the tilapia – a lot of their fish related words contained the tilapia π! Tilapia also has its own word which is βπππππ.βΒ
The Rainbow Fish with the word for “tilapia” in hieroglyphs!
Thanks π΄ππ―πΏπ’ to my sister π’ππ for taking this picture ππ ±π!
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This stunningly painted piece is the Inner Cartonnage of a person named Gautseshenu. This piece would have been placed inside a larger coffin and is made of cartonnage (ancient paper mache). It is dated to the 25th Dynasty (Third Intermediate Period). It was found in Thebes πππ and itβs amazing how well preserved it is and how bright the colors are.Β
The Weighing of the Heart scene from the Book of the Dead ππππ»π πππ²π³πΊπΌπΊ is my absolute favorite type of religious art from ancient Egypt ππ ππ. As a kid, I loved it because Anubis πππͺπ ±π’ was the central god πΉ in the scene, and Anubis πππͺπ ±π’ is my favorite Egyptian god πΉ . As an adult, I love what the scene represents and the symbolism behind it.
For those unfamiliar with the context of the scene, Anubis πππͺπ ±π’ weighs the heart πππ£ of the deceased π ππ± against Maatβs π΄ππ£ππ¦ feather. If Anubis determines thereβs balance between the two, then the deceased would be presented to Osiris πΉπ¨ π by Horus π π. The simplified version of the scene represented on this cartonnage is missing Thoth π €π and Ammit ππ π π.
If youβre looking at the inner cartonnage/coffin π ±ππΎ from the front, you can see Khepri π£πππ(the winged beetle) and the Four Sons of Horus beneath him. I feel like this coffin π ±ππΎ is the Sparks Notes version of the Book of the Dead ππππ»π πππ²π³πΊπΌπΊ – it kinda gives you some of the most important parts of it in a very small amount of space!Β
You can also watch this video (with music) on TikTok!
This stunningly painted piece is the Inner Cartonnage of a person named Gautseshenu. This piece would have been placed inside a larger coffin and is made of cartonnage (ancient paper mache). It is dated to the 25th Dynasty (Third Intermediate Period). It was found in Thebes πππ and itβs amazing how well preserved it is and how bright the colors are. The Weighing of the Heart scene from the Book of the Dead ππππ»π πππ²π³πΊπΌπΊ is my absolute favorite type of religious art from ancient Egypt ππ ππ. As a kid, I loved it because Anubis πππͺπ ±π’ was the central god πΉ in the scene, and Anubis πππͺπ ±π’ is my favorite Egyptian god πΉ . As an adult, I love what the scene represents and the symbolism behind it. For those unfamiliar with the context of the scene, Anubis πππͺπ ±π’ weighs the heart πππ£ of the deceased π ππ± against Maatβs π΄ππ£ππ¦ feather. If Anubis determines thereβs balance between the two, then the deceased would be presented to Osiris πΉπ¨ π by Horus π π. The simplified version of the scene represented on this cartonnage is missing Thoth π €π and Ammit ππ π π. If youβre looking at the coffin π ±ππΎ from the front, you can see Khepri π£πππ(the winged beetle) and the Four Sons of Horus beneath him. I feel like this coffin π ±ππΎ is the Sparks Notes version of the Book of the Dead ππππ»π πππ²π³πΊπΌπΊ – it kinda gives you some of the most important parts of it in a very small amount of space! This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost. #ancientegypt#egyptianhistory#egyptologist#historytok#egypt#brooklynmuseum#anubis#bookofthedead
My sister π’πππ sent me this picture ππ ±π that she took at the Brooklyn Museum and I immediately knew that I had to share it with all π of you!Β
Hippopotamus Statues from the Middle Kingdom on display at the Brooklyn Museum
Itβs no mystery that I love the ancient Egyptian hippopotamus πππ― statues ππ ±ππΎπͺ! My favorites are the blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ faience π£πππΈπΌ ones that are typically dated to the Middle Kingdom time period!
What I love about this picture ππ ±π is it shows the diversity of the art that was created during the Middle Kingdom! The blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ faience π£πππΈπΌ hippopotamus πππ― statue ππ ±ππΎ is a lot more detailed and refined, while the clay πͺππ΄π hippo πππ― statues ππ ±ππΎπͺ are a little rougher!
The hippo πππ― statues ππ ±ππΎπͺ in the forefront of the image ππ ±π are made out of clay πͺππ΄π and were most likely used as a kind of offering during the βFeast of the White Hippopotamus.β During this festival, a hippopotamus πππ― was dragged on a sled before the pharaoh ππ». The base that these two π» hippo πππ― statues ππ ±ππΎπͺ have are representative of that sled!
The blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ faience π£πππΈπΌ hippopotamus πππ― statue ππ ±ππΎ is always a treat to see and I love seeing them across various museums! There are lotus flowers πΈπΈπΈ painted on the sides of the hippo πππ― to represent the different plants that grew along the Nile ππππ ±ππππΊ! The legs on this statue ππ ±ππΎ are actually restored!
FUN FACT: did you know that most blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ faience π£πππΈπΌ hippopotamus πππ― statues ππ ±ππΎπͺ have broken feet because they were broken on purpose so the hippo πππ― would not be a threat to the deceased person it was buried with?
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