Category: Egyptian Artifacts

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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

Red Granite Statue of Thutmosis III

I’m going to post another British Museum picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 because I’m nostalgic and I like remembering how amazing that day 𓉔𓂋𓏺𓇳 was!

This red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of Thutmosis III 𓅝𓄠𓋴 is definitely an interesting one because it actually has the cartouches of Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 carved into the chest! This is what Egyptologists call usurping – meaning that Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 took statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 and monuments from his predecessors, erased their name 𓂋𓈖, and put his own!

Egyptologists don’t think this was done out of disrespect for the previous pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦, instead it was just Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 promoting his own rule.

Fun fact! Much like modern geologists, the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 differentiated between granite and red granite rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦! How do we know?! The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are different:

Granite – 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓈖𓌳𓍿
Red Granite – 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶

I love rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦 and geology so much! I actually got interested in geology as a kid because I wanted to know what all of the statues were made out of!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Magical Stela (Cippus)

This is known as a Magical Stela, or a cippus. It depicts Horus 𓅃𓀭(or Harpokrates, the Greek version of Horus 𓅃𓀭) standing on two 𓏻 crocodiles 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌𓏥 and holding other dangerous animals such as snakes 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆘𓏪 and scorpions 𓋴𓂋𓈎𓏏𓆫𓏪 in each hand. The god Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 also appears above Horus’ 𓅃𓀭 head 𓁶𓏺. Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 was known to ward off evil and bad luck.

Magical Stela (Cippus) at the MET

Normally, stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 were used to commemorate the dead so this is almost like a protective amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 in the form of a stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸. This cippus was used by the living for protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜. Since the Old Kingdom, Horus 𓅃𓀭 was called upon as a defender against snake or scorpion bites. Placing the cippus on a wound would evoke its magical and healing powers. Cippus stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 like this were usually kept in homes 𓉐𓏺.

However, cippus pieces have also been found in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪, so we can assume that the Egyptians thought it not only would help protect 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 the living, but the dead too.

Fun fact! The Middle Egyptian word for scorpion is 𓋴𓂋𓈎𓏏𓆫 which can be pronounced like “Serket.” Serket 𓋴𓂋𓈎𓏏𓆫 was a goddess 𓊹𓏏 who was represented by a scorpion and she was associated with healing, protection, and magic. Serket 𓋴𓂋𓈎𓏏𓆫 could also be written like this: 𓊃𓂋𓈎𓏏𓁐.

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Blog Egyptian Artifacts

Look at all the Hippos!

Look at all the hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦!!! So I have a story: The first time I ever went to Disney World, I went with my Nonno and Nonna and I think I was four years old at the time! When we went on “It’s a Small World,” I fell in love with the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 that winks at you! The hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 became my favorite part of the ride, and even to this day, I look forward to seeing the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯! And yes I’m sure this is an unpopular opinion but I LOVE going on “It’s a Small World!” It’s one of my favorites!!!

The winking hippo in “It’s a Small World”

So when I started studying ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 with my Nonno, I always loved the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 statues because they reminded me of the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 on “It’s a Small World!” I have included a picture of the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 in Disney World so you guys can also see the similarities!

In Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 were both feared and respected 𓈙𓆑𓄅. They were feared because they were one of the most dangerous animals in the Nile Valley 𓇗. However, hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 were also thought to be powerful protectors 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 against evil!

Hippo artifacts at the MET

A lot of the hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 have lotus flowers 𓆸𓏪 painted all over them to associate them with rejuvenation! The hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 are most likely painted blue/green 𓇅𓆓𓏛 to represent the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 and rebirth. What’s really cool is that the “It’s a Small World” hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 also has flowers painted on it!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Mummy Mask of Hatnefer

This mask is dated to the 18th Dynasty (New Kingdom c. 1492-1473 B.C.E). It is also made of catonnage, which is the ancient Egyptian version of paper-mache – cartonnage is usually made of up linen. Just like the Roman mask I posted yesterday, this mask is also overlaid with gold foil 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉. Gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 is a metallic element, and one of the properties of metallic elements is that they are malleable. This means that they can be hammered into very thin sheets. This made gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 very easy to work with!

Mummy Mask of Hatnefer at the MET

I love the eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏥 of this mask! The eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏥 are made of two different types of stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙. The white 𓌉𓆓𓇳 part is alabaster 𓍱𓈙𓊃, which is usually a form of the minerals calcite or gypsum. The black 𓆎𓅓 part is made of obsidian. Obsidian is an extrusive igneous rock which form when lava from a volcano cools instantaneously. This rapid cooling gives obsidian a glass-like appearance which is why obsidian is often referred to as volcanic glass.

This mask belonged to a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 named Hatnefer who died in her 70s. Hatnefer was able to get such a mask because her son 𓅭 was Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼, aka Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 most trusted advisor! Due to Senemut’s 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 rise in status, he was able to provide a nice burial and tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 for his mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐. Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 also used his mother’s 𓅐𓏏𓁐 death as an opportunity move his father 𓇋𓏏𓀀 from his original burial place into this tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐.

Hatnefer’s tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 was discovered in 1936, during the MET’s Egyptian Expedition.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Mummy Mask (Late Period)

Mummy Mask (Late Period) at the Brooklyn Museum

Another mummy mask?! Why not!! This mask of a woman is dated to the Late Period (1st Century B.C.E). It is also a cartonnage mask, which was a very popular type of material to use because it was easy to work with and the mask could be made relatively quickly. The colors on this mask are so bright and well preserved – especially the broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝. I love how the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 used red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 and the blue/green 𓇅𓆓𓏛 color together 𓈖𓊗 a lot. I love that color combination!

I have also provided a close-up of the art on the wig that shows the goddesses Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 (left) and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇(right). Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 were sisters (which means their brothers are Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 and Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣). While Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 and Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 were also married, so were Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 and Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣. Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 are shown together quite frequently, Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 and Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣 are rarely shown together in art because Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 was considered to be a positive figure instead of negative. She is usually depicted with either just Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, or with Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭.

You can easily tell Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 apart from each other in Egyptian art based off of the crowns that they are wearing. The crowns correspond to the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 that make up their names!

Isis (𓊨𓏏𓁥) wears “𓊨” as a crown!
Nephthys (𓉠𓏏𓆇) wears “𓉠” as a crown!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Mummy Mask (Roman Period)

One of the features of Egyptian funerary practices that persisted throughout time was the mummy masks. Mummy masks first appeared during the First Intermediate Period (~2181 BCE), and were last used during the Roman Period (~395 AD). While the styles certainly changed, their purpose of protecting the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 remained the same. The function of protection is made explicit by Spell 151 from the Book of the Dead. Spell 151 also restores the ability of the dead to see through the mask. Spell 151 even appears on the back of the mask of Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓!

Mummy Mask (Roman Period) at the Brooklyn Museum

This mask is from the Roman Period, and it’s always so interesting to see the merging of the two 𓏻 different styles. The mask is made of cartonnage (kind of like paper mache) and is covered in gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 leaf, which is typical of Ptolemaic/Roman masks. The mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 is wearing a nemes 𓈖𓅓𓋴 style headdress, and Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛 (the winged scarab 𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣) can be seen on the head 𓁶𓏺. Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓀭 is a symbol of rebirth.

What makes this mask so beautiful 𓄤 are all of the small details in the gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 leaf. The most prominent is the deceased (as a mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾) standing before 𓐍𓂋 Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. The protective cobras 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆘𓏪 also adorn the mask. Daisies/Rosettes are seen as decoration along with the Wedjat-eyes 𓂀 on each side. Both of these are also symbols of rebirth!

During Roman times, masks were mass produced in workshops so it is unlikely that this mask represents a specific person.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Scarabs of Hatshepsut

Here are some more scarabs 𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣𓏪 of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 from the MET! The MET has so many of these beautiful 𓄤 scarabs 𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣𓏪 and I honestly love looking at them! I really like tiny things, so scarabs 𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣𓏪 and other amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 are some of my favorite pieces to see in museums!

These two 𓏻 scarabs 𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣𓏪 both show Hatshepsut’s throne name Maatkare 𓇳𓁦𓂓 in between the Red Crown of Lower Egypt 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓏏𓋔. The name 𓂋𓈖 Maatkare 𓇳𓁦𓂓 translates to “Truth is the Soul of Ra.”

The Red Crown 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓏏𓋔 is also known as the Deshret, which can also translate to “red land 𓅠𓂋𓏏𓈊.” The word Deshret 𓅠𓂋𓏏𓈊 referred to both the crown (𓂧𓈙𓂋𓏏𓋔) and the desert (𓅠𓂋𓏏𓈊) on either side of the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺. While the words are written differently in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, they are pronounced the same.

The fertile soil along the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 was referred to as Kemet 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, or “black land.”

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Egyptian Artifacts

Wooden Chair of Hatnefer

This wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 chair 𓎛𓊨𓏏𓆱 is from the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of Hatnefer. Hatnefer was Senemut’s 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 and due to his status as Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 most trusted advisor, he was able to give his mother𓅐𓏏𓁐 a proper burial. I am always so amazed when wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 pieces are still in such great condition – wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 is organic and it can break down very quickly as compared to a material like rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙.

Wooden Chair of Hatnefer at the MET

The linen 𓍱 that makes up the seat of the chair 𓎛𓊨𓏏𓆱 is the original linen 𓍱 and has not been restored at all! The back of the chair 𓎛𓊨𓏏𓆱 contains a design alternating between the tyet 𓎬 (Isis Knot) and the Djed pillar 𓊽. The tyet 𓎬 symbol invokes the protection of Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, while the Djed pillar 𓊽 symbolizes stability. It is thought that the Djed pillar 𓊽 is actually the spine of the god 𓊹 Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭.

In the middle of the tyet 𓎬 and Djed pillars 𓊽 is the god Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜. Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 had many functions as a god 𓊹 and one of them was the protector of the home 𓉐𓏺.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of Rameses II at the British Museum

This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 is one of the largest Egyptian artifacts in the British Museum. The piece is definitely grand, and is even more beautiful 𓄤 in person.

This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 was cut from pink/gray granite 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓈖𓌳𓍿. Granite 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓈖𓌳𓍿 is an extremely strong rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 and resistant to weathering due to its high quartz content (hence why it is used to make countertops), so that is why the details on this are so well preserved. This piece was excavated by Belzoni and was originally from Rameses II’s 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 mortuary temple at Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖 (aka the Ramesseum).

Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 came to the throne after the death of his father Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠, and ruled Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 as pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 for about 67 years. He was the third pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the 19th Dynasty, and is often referred to as “Rameses The Great” because he built 𓐍𓂤𓅱𓋴𓀧 more monuments than any other pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and ruled longer than any other pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. The monuments attributed to Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 are some of the best preserved – it seems that he got his wish to be remembered even so long after his death 𓅓𓏏𓏱. Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 built 𓐍𓂤𓅱𓋴𓀧 as much as he could so he could ensure that his name 𓂋𓈖 lived on.