Tag: thutmosis iv

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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Ushabti of Thutmosis IV

Today π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³ we are going to look at a ushabti π“…±π“ˆ™π“ƒ€π“π“­π“€Ύ that belonged to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Thutmosis IV 𓇳𓏠𓆣𓏼! This picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 also shows a shabti coffin! The shabti coffin allowed for the ushabti π“…±π“ˆ™π“ƒ€π“π“­π“€Ύ to take the place of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in case the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 was destroyed! I like to think of this as a call back to the original β€œwax ushabtis” of the Middle Kingdom, which served the same purpose.Β 

Thutmosis IV 𓇳𓏠𓆣𓏼 was the eighth pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the 18th Dynasty and he was actually not supposed to be pharaoh 𓉐𓉻! His brother π“Œ’π“ˆ– was chosen successor by their father 𓇋𓏏𓀀 Amenhotep II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ, but Thutmosis IV 𓇳𓏠𓆣𓏼 usurped the throne and made himself the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻!Β 

Ushabti of Thutmosis IV
A Ushabti of Thutmosis IV (left) and a shabti coffin that also belonged to Thutmosis IV (right) on display at the MET

Let’s read some hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!!!Β Let’s take a closer look at the inscription π“Ž˜π“…±π“Ž– on the ushabti π“…±π“ˆ™π“ƒ€π“π“­π“€Ύ:Β 

π“ŠΉπ“„€ – Perfect God 

π“ŽŸπ“‡Ώπ“‡Ώ – Lord of the Two Lands

𓇳𓏠𓆣𓏼 – Menkheperura β€œEstablished Manifestations of Ra” (Throne name of Thutmosis IV)

π“™π“Š€ – True of Voice (Justified)

π“Ήπ“Š¨ – Osiris (Osiris’ name is written without the determinative symbol here (π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­))

π“ŒΈπ“‡Œ – Beloved

So all π“ŽŸ together π“ˆ–π“Š— the inscription π“Ž˜π“…±π“Ž– says: β€œThe Perfect God, Lord of the Two Lands, Menkheperura, True of Voice, Beloved of Osiris.” 

The tomb π“‡‹π“‡©π“Šƒπ“‰ of Thutmosis IV 𓇳𓏠𓆣𓏼 in the Valley of the Kings was excavated by Theodore Davis and Howard Carter in 1903, which is where these objects were found! Many blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸π“₯ faience π“‹£π“ˆ–π“π“Έπ“Ό pieces were found during this excavation! I love how bright the blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸π“₯ color still is; it’s really striking in person! 

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

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Boat of Mutemwia

This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is dedicated to Mutemwia π“π“…π“…“π“Šž who was a minor wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐 of Thutmosis IV 𓇳𓏠𓆣𓏼 and mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Amenhotep III π“‡³π“§π“Ž .Β 

This statue was originally meant to show Mutemwia π“π“…π“…“π“Šž on a sacred boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž(her body has been broken off). The boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž has the goddess Hathor 𓉑 on the front. The sides of the boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž are inscribed with the name and titles of Mutemwia π“π“…π“…“π“Šž along with a carving of the Wedjat π“‚€. Cartouches showing the names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ of Mutemwia π“π“…π“…“π“Šž and Amenhotep III π“‡³π“§π“Ž  are also inscribed on the boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž. 

Mutemwia π“π“…π“…“π“Šž held many titles such as the β€œGreat King’s Wife His Beloved π“‡“π“π“π“ˆžπ“…©π“‚‹π“π“ˆ˜π“†‘,” β€œLady of the Two Lands π“Ž›π“Œπ“π“‡Ώπ“‡Ώ,” β€œGod’s Mother π“ŠΉπ“…,” and β€œKing’s Mother 𓇓𓅐.” The latter two titles mean the same thing – since the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 (Amenhotep III π“‡³π“§π“Ž ) was a god π“ŠΉ on Earth 𓇾𓇾. 

Something interesting though that these titles listed above were only used after the death of Thutmosis IV 𓇳𓏠𓆣𓏼. It seems that Amenhotep III π“‡³π“§π“Ž  elevated his mother’s 𓅐𓏏𓁐 status when he became the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. In the Luxor Temple, Mutemwia π“π“…π“…“π“Šž is depicted in the reliefs of the divine birth of Amenhotep III π“‡³π“§π“Ž  – and these reliefs are almost an exact copy of the ones from the divine birth of Hatshepsut π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ŽΉπ“π“„‚π“π“€Όπ“ͺ at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦π“₯𓉐. 

The boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž is made of the rock π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™ granodiorite, which is an igneous (volcanic) rock π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™ that is kind of the mix of both granite π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“ˆ–π“Œ³π“Ώ and diorite. Granodiorite is an intrusive rock, meaning it formed underground, which also makes it a very strong and durable piece of material!