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 π ±π΄ππΊπ. I love how the Egyptians πππππͺ used red π§πππ and the blue/green π ππ color together ππ 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 π¨ππ₯ (left) and Nephthys π ππ(right). Isis π¨ππ₯ and Nephthys π ππ were sisters (which means their brothers are Osiris πΉπ¨π and Seth πππ‘π£). While Osiris πΉπ¨π and Isis π¨ππ₯ were also married, so were Nephthys π ππ and Seth πππ‘π£. Isis π¨ππ₯ and Osiris πΉπ¨π are shown together quite frequently, Nephthys π ππ and Seth πππ‘π£ are rarely shown together in art because Nephthys π ππ was considered to be a positive figure instead of negative. She is usually depicted with either just Isis π¨ππ₯, or with Isis π¨ππ₯ and Osiris πΉπ¨π.
You can easily tell Isis π¨ππ₯ and Nephthys π ππ apart from each other in Egyptian art based off of the crowns that they are wearing. The crowns correspond to the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ that make up their names!
Isis (π¨ππ₯) wears βπ¨β as a crown! Nephthys (π ππ) wears βπ β as a crown!
When I saw this piece I really liked it because of how colorful it was! No matter how many times I see artifacts in museums, Iβm always shocked by how bright the colors still are on some objects!
Coffin Fragment with Isis at the Brooklyn Museum
This is a coffin π ±ππΎ fragment (Late Period, Dynasties 26-31 c. 664-332 B.C.E.) that shows the goddess πΉπ Isis π¨πππ in mourning. Since in Egyptian mythology Isis π¨ππ₯ assisted in the resurrection of Osiris πΉπ¨π, it was believed that she would be instrumental in the rebirth of the deceased π ππ±. This is why she was always seen on coffins π ±ππΎπͺ or sarcophagi ππΉππππ¦.
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ! The inscription I have translated is on the right column: βππππ¨ππππ ¨ππΉπ β
πππ – Words Spoken By π¨πππ Isis (Isis is more commonly written like this βπ¨ππ₯β or β π¨πππ₯β) π ¨π – the Great (greatness) πΉπ – Goddess (can also be written as πΉπ)
Put together, the inscription reads:
βWords spoken by Isis, the great goddess…β The rest of the inscription is cut off.
This post will be about two statues from different museums that are very similar!
This is a wooden π±ππΊ statue πππππΎ of the goddess πΉπ Nephthys π ππ dated from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period. I am always amazed when wooden π±ππΊ statues are in such great condition – even though the paint is chipping in some places, the statue πππππΎ still retained much of its original color!
Wooden Statue of Nephthys at the Brooklyn Museum
Along with her sister π’ππ Isis π¨ππ₯, Nephthys π ππ was a protector π ππ‘π of the dead and this statue πππππΎ was most likely used for funerary purposes. The crown on her head is one of the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ that is used in her name (π ), which makes Nephthys π ππ very easy to identify in tomb art/funerary art. Her hand/arm ππΊ is raised in what is thought to me a mourning position, and this statue πππππΎ was most likely placed in a tomb ππ«ππ.
Nephthysβ π ππ title was βMistress of the House ππππΊ.β Her name ππ could also be written as ππππππ―π. The three πΌ symbols βπππβ can be combined to make the βπ β symbol, which is not only the crown, but a space saver when writing out hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
Nephthysβ π ππ hair is blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ because it was supposed to be the same color as lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§! Lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§ is a stone (usually found in modern day Afghanistan) and was considered to be worth more than gold ππππ by the ancient Egyptians πππππͺ because it had to be traded for! Many of the gods πΉπΉπΉ and goddesses πΉπΉπΉπ were thought to have blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§ hair!
This is a wooden π±ππΊ statue πππππΎ of the goddess πΉπ Isis π¨ππ₯ is dated from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period. Once again, this wooden π±ππΊ statue is in such great condition! When I saw the statue of Nephthys π ππ in the Brooklyn Museum, it immediately reminded me of this statue of Isis π¨ππ₯ at the Louvre!
Wooden Statue of Isis at the Louvre
Isis π¨ππ₯ was a protector π ππ‘π of the dead and the wife to Osiris πΉπ¨π. This statue πππππΎ was most likely used for funerary purposes. Her hands/arms ππ¦ are raised in what is thought to be a mourning position, and this statue πππππΎ was most likely placed in a tomb ππ«ππ.
The crown on her head is one of the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ that is used in her name (π¨), which makes Isis π¨ππ₯ very easy to identify in tomb art/funerary art. Isis can also be written as π¨ππ or πΏπ¨ππ₯, but no matter what, the βπ¨β always appears in her name ππ!
Much like the statue of Nephthysβ π ππ from the Brooklyn Museum, Isisβ π¨ππ₯ hair is blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ because it was supposed to be the same color as lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§! Many of the gods πΉπΉπΉ and goddesses πΉπΉπΉπ were thought to have blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ lapis lazuli ππ΄ππ§π§ hair!
The god πΉ Thoth π πππ(or Djehuty to the ancient Egyptians) was originally god πΉ of the moon, but then became associated with writing πππ₯ and knowledge. He was also the god πΉ of scribes πππͺ. The moon could be thought of as a βnight sun,β which kind of places him as an opposite of the sun π³πΊ god πΉ Re π³πΊπ. Thoth π €π is also credited with inventing the 365-day calendar!
Thoth Amulets at the MET
Thoth π €π was thought to have invented writing πππ₯, and was thus the god πΉ of all record keeping. Due to his vast knowledge, Thoth π was thought to know magic and secrets that were unknown to the rest of the gods πΉπΉπΉ in the Egyptian pantheon. In the Book of the Dead, Thoth π €π is at the extremely important Weighing of the Heart – which is the judgement of the deceasedβs heart πππ£ against Maβatβs ππ΄π£ππ¦ feather. His job was to record the results of the ceremony.
Thoth π πππ was usually represented as a man πππ€ with an ibis head (π), an ibis πππ € or a baboon. In this photograph, there are many faience π£πππΈπΌ statues of Thoth π €π as a baboon. These were very popular amongst scribes πππͺ, and amulets ππͺπ πͺ of Thoth π πππ were worn by the living to invoke wisdom!
Thoth can be written as: π €π, π πππ, π. He also had various titles such as βLord of the Divine Words,β βThree Times Great,β and βLord of Maβatβ amongst many others!
This is a black granite πππππ³πΏ stela ππ ±ππΈ shows the god πΉ Sobek π΄ππ‘π in sunken relief. This stela is dated to the reign of Thutmosis III π π π΄ (18th Dynasty). The stela ππ ±ππΈ originally belonged to a soldier named Amunemhat and he dedicated it to one of Sobekβs π΄ππ‘π temples. Thutmosis III π π π΄ saw a lot of military victories, and that is probably how Anunemhat was able to pay for this small stela ππ ±ππΈ.
On the stela ππ ±ππΈ, Sobek π΄ππ‘π is seen in crocodile π π΄ππ form standing on an altar π΅ππͺ with an elaborate headdress on his head. There is an offering table πππ ‘πΏπ in front of him that contains bread πππ and meat ππ ±ππΉ, which were very common things to be left as offerings π΅ππͺπ ππ¦ to either a god πΉ or the dead. Amunemhat is seen kneeling in the lower right corner of the stela ππ ±ππΈ. Due to the faded hieroglyphs itβs very hard for me to translate them though next to Amunemhatβs head πΆπΊ you can see β ππ πβ which is βAmunβ and this the start of Amunemhatβs name ππ.
Sobek π΄ππ‘π had been worshipped since the Old Kingdom and is mentioned in the Pyramid Texts as being the son π of the goddess πΉπ Neith ππππ. He was a water god πΉ , and also of areas such as marshes and rivers/riverbanks. Sobek π΄ππ‘π usually appears in art as a crocodile π π΄ππ or as a man with a crocodile π π΄ππ head. The elaborate headdress on his head is representative of the sun disk π³πΊ with tall plumes on either side.
This limestone ππππ sculpture of the goddess πΉπ Hathor π‘ 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.
Hathorβs π‘ name ππ in hieroglyphs πΉππͺ is quite unique compared to some of the other gods/goddesses. Her name ππ is composed of a composite hieroglyph πΉπ which literally translates to βHouse of Horus.β Hathor π‘ was the goddess πΉπ of women ππππππͺ, motherhood, joy, music πππΈ, happiness π«π ±π, and a goddess πΉπ of the afterlife πΌπΏππ.
One detail that I love about this piece is that Hathor π‘ is shown with her cow ears! Hathor π‘ was usually depicted in Egyptian art as either a woman πππππ or a cow π€ππππ, 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 βbeautiful womanβ and βcowβ were the same – the only thing that was different was the determinative symbol! This was most likely due to an association with Hathor π‘, and to this day remains one of my favorite βfun factsβ about hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
Iβm making another post with Hathor π‘ in it because why not?! Hathor π‘ was the goddess πΉπ of women ππππππͺ, motherhood, joy, music πππΈ, happiness π«π ±π, and a goddess πΉπ of the afterlife πΌπΏππ.
This limestone ππππ stela ππ ±ππΈ is dated to the 18th Dynasty (New Kingdom). The stela ππ ±ππΈ was dedicated to Hathor π‘ and the 11th Dynasty pharaoh ππ» Montuhotep II π ππΏπ ±π΅ππͺ by a priest πΉπ named An. On this stela ππ ±ππΈ, Hathor π‘ appears in her cow π€ππππ form, while the human figure (probably Montuhotep II) on the left is cut off. An is not pictured on the stela ππ ±ππΈ, which means it was probably already made and An just had his name ππ added to it. It was most likely placed in a shrine at Deir el-Bahri, because both Hathor π‘ and Montuhotep II π ππΏπ ±π΅ππͺ were both worshipped there. It was not uncommon for pharaohs ππ»π¦ to be worshipped long after they died.
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
πΉπ€ππΏπΏ(π³π€π) – βThe Great God, Lord of the Two Lands, Nebhapetraβ (Nebhapetra is Montuhotep IIβs throne name)
π‘πππ·πππ – βHathor, Chief one of Thebesβ (Thebes can also be written as βπππβ – Iβm just copying the symbol directly from the stela, even though it may look βbackwardsβ).
The relief shows Seti I π³π¦π and the goddess πΉπ Hathor π‘. Hathor π‘ was known as the Lady of the West (the underworld πΌπΏππ). The West and the Underworld πΌπΏππ were equated by the ancient Egyptians πππππͺ because the sun π³πΊ set in the west! Here, she is seen welcoming Seti I π³π¦π into her domain, while offering him her menat necklace π§, a symbol of protection. They are even holding hands π§ππΊ! This relief was originally from Seti Iβs πͺπππ£ππΈπ tomb ππ«ππ, which is actually the biggest tomb ππ«ππ in the Valley of the Kings!
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
π‘πΆπ·ππππ – βHathor, Chief one of Thebesβ
ππΏπΏ(π³π¦π ) – βLord of the Two Lands, Maatmenraβ (Maatmenra is the throne name)
πππ₯(πͺπππ£ππΈπ) – βLord of the Two Lands Seti, Beloved of Ptahβ (Seti is the birth name)
ππΉ π³ππΊπ – βGiven Eternal Life, Like Raβ
Triads (groups of three πΌ) were popular among ancient Egyptian statuary and mythology. This piece from the Louvre is called the βRoyal and Divine Triadβ (Dynasty 19, New Kingdom c. 1279-1203 B.C.E.) because it represents three πΌ of the most powerful figures in the Egyptian pantheon. Rameses II ππ πππ³πΊππ΄π or his son π Merenptah π³ππππΉπΉπΉ is on the left, Osiris πΉπ¨π is in the middle, while Horus π π is on the right. The pharaoh ππ» was viewed as a god πΉ on Earth, Horus π π was the king of the gods πΉπΉπΉ, and Osiris πΉπ¨π was lord π of the afterlife.
I find this piece super interesting because the pharaoh ππ» kind of inserted himself amongst the most famous of the Egyptian triads – Isis π¨ππ₯, Osiris πΉπ¨π and Horus π π – who were supposed to represent the divine family (mother π ππ, father πππ, and child πππ). In some instances (like with this statue), the pharaoh ππ» would function as the child in the statue.
Not all triads represented families, though that was the most common. Ptah πͺπππ±, Sekhmet πππ ππ, and Nefertem π€πππππ― was a family triad that was extremely popular in Memphis. During the New Kingdom (around the time of Tutankhamun ππ πππ ±ππΉπΎπΊπ), the triad of Amun ππ π, Ra π³πΊπ, and Ptah πͺπππ± became very popular due to the powerful nature of these three πΌ deities
This raised relief in limestone is dated to the 12th Dynasty (Middle Kingdom c. 1981β1952 B.C.E.) and the reign of the pharaoh Amenemhat Iππ ππ π. Amenemhat I ππ ππ π is famous for moving the capital of Egypt ππ ππ from Thebes πππ to just south of Memphis π ππ€πππ΄π. He also began a co-regency with his son π , Senwosret I ππ΄ππππ ten π years before his death in order to maintain stability. This block was found at the foundation of Amenemhat Iβs ππ ππ π mortuary temple.
From the right, the upper part of a was scepter π can be seen supporting the sky πͺππ―. On the was scepter, a Uraeus πππππ is seen with the shen πΆ symbol of the universe around its neck. The falcon πππ‘π that is seen is actually the top part of the Horus name cartouche (which is usually rectangular shaped and is meant to represent a palace). The god πΉ Horus π π is seen presenting an ankh πΉ to the falcon πππ‘π . Due to the ram πππ horn πππΊ that can be partially seen on the left, it can be inferred that it is the god πΉ Khnum πΈππ that is being depicted.
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
On top of Horus π π reads: ππ§πππππΉ which translates to:
ππ§ππ- Edfu
πππΉ – May He Give Life (One of Horusβ π π titles is βHorus of Edfu.β)
In between Horus and Khnum the inscription is broken but reads: πππππ³ πππππ΄ππ which translates to: βHe who is before the house of protection, Words Spoken By…β
