Tag: shosenq ii

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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Cartouche Box of Shosenq II

This cartouche π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“· shaped box is a small π“ˆ–π“†“π“‹΄π“…© yet interesting piece at the MET! I stumbled upon this piece because it is in a display with lots of ushabti π“…±π“ˆ™π“ƒ€π“π“­π“€Ύ figures! One of my absolute favorite Egyptian artifacts is Tutankhamun’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ cartouche π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“· box, and while this is a smaller and less elaborate version of Tutankhamun’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“, I still love it!Β 

This cartouche π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“· shaped box is dated to the Third Intermediate Period (c. 825-773 B.C.E.) which would be in the 22nd Dynasty! The box is also inscribed for the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Shosenq II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Œ»π“†·π“†·π“Ž―π“π“π“ŠΉπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ί.Β 

Cartouche Box of Shosenq II
Cartouche Box of Shosenq II

Even though they may be difficult to see in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, Let’s read some hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! 

π“ŽŸπ“‡Ώπ“‡Ώ – Lord of the Two Lands

𓅭𓇳 – Son of Ra

π“ŽŸπ“ˆπ“₯ – Lord of Appearances 

π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– – Usermaatre setep en Ra (Throne Name)

π“ŠΉπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ί – God and Ruler of Heliopolis

π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Œ»π“†·π“†·π“Ž―π“π“ – Shosenq II (Shoshenk, Son of Bastet, Beloved of Amun)

There are a lot of interesting things going on in this inscription! The first 𓏃 interesting thing is that Shosenq II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Œ»π“†·π“†·π“Ž―π“π“π“ŠΉπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ί has the same throne name as the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Rameses II π“©π“›π“ˆ˜π“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“! The name π“‚‹π“ˆ– β€œUsermaatre setep en Ra π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ–β€ translates to β€œThe Justice of Ra is powerful, Chosen of Ra.”

The second interesting thing is that all of the titles appear before both names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦, instead of being broken up and appearing before either the throne name or the given/birth name! 

Another interesting thing is that the part of Shosenq II’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Œ»π“†·π“†·π“Ž―π“π“π“ŠΉπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ί birth name, β€œGod and Ruler of Heliopolisπ“ŠΉπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ί,” appears at the beginning of this birth name instead of at the end, hence why I broke it up in my translation! The name π“‚‹π“ˆ– should appear like this in the inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯: π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Œ»π“†·π“†·π“Ž―π“π“π“ŠΉπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ί, but instead  appears as π“ŠΉπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Œ»π“†·π“†·π“Ž―π“π“! 

The fourth interesting part is that neither the birth name nor the throne name appear in a cartouche π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“·! I guess the whole box is the cartouche π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“· so maybe the artist felt that the names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ didn’t need a cartouche π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“· on the inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯?! 

Who knew such a small π“ˆ–π“†“π“‹΄π“…© piece could hold so many interesting things! It’s amazing what can be discovered by just reading a couple of hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!