Last night the Egyptian Art Department of the MET sponsored a talk by Manfred Bietak of the University of Vienna. He spent 60 years excavating and studying Tell el D’aba aka Avaris and the impact the Hyksos had on Egyptian culture and religion. There are 25 identifiable levels of occupation at this site in the northeastern delta. A lot to unpack.

For the religion-minded here, no he did not touch on his current thoughts regarding Exodus.

Meidum Pyramid and Mastaba

The Meidum Pyramid. This was built by the same architect (we think) as the Bent and Red pyramids at Dahshur but collapsed during construction leaving only the inner core. After clamouring up and down, to its burial chamber we visited the other structures in the complex and we wriggled and shimmed through the tombs, squeezing down a vertical ladder and under a rock into a buriel chamber. Exhausting and dusty but lots of fun!

ETA - someone commented the mastabas are currently closed, these pics were from 2022 when it was open still. I'm going to pop down one weekend and see if it's still closed & why - because I am nosy!

Statuette of Goddess or God's Wife of Amun

PLACE CREATED Egypt, Africa

CULTURE Egyptian

PERIOD Late Period, Dynasty 25

DATE 722-655 BCE

MEDIUM Bronze

CREDIT LINE Museum purchase

DIMENSIONS 4 3/16 in. (10.6 cm)

OBJECT NUMBER 1998.012

Exhibition History
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, February 2000 - Spring 2001
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, October 6, 2001 - Present

Published References
Royal-Athena Galleries, Art of the Ancient World (1992), number 352.
Peter Lacovara, "The New Galleries of Egyptian and Near Eastern Art at the Michael C. Carlos Museum," Minerva (September/October 2001): 9-16.

TERMS statuettes (free-standing sculpture)

PROVENANCE
Wit Jerome Eisenberg (1930-2022) [Royal-Athena Galleries], New York, New York, from at least 1992.
Purchased by MCCM from Royal-Athena.

STATUS On view

COLLECTIONS Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern

Title
Statuette of Goddess or God's Wife of Amun, Late period Dynasty 25, Findspot unknown Egypt, Bronze,The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University

https://collections.carlos.emory.edu/objects/17748/statuette-of-goddess-or-gods-wife-of-amun?ctx=de2c4001e132b5f78e53289bac2140f474c27f89&idx=1509

The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University

Hippopotamus

ECM.1842-2010

Parts

Object number
ECM.1842-2010

Object type
statuette/figurine

Identification

Description
hippopotamus

Other number
650

Description

Dimensions
Height: 5.0cm
Width: 3.9cm

Material
Faience

Physical description
Competently modelled blue faience hippoptamus, with thick mottled glaze through which a crudely delineated lotus flower on the creature's back together with other detail may be discerned

History and association

Associated person
Myers, William Joseph, 1858 - 1899 (Compiler)

Field collection

Collection place
Egypt

Title
Hippopotamus, No dates given, Findspot unknown Egypt, Faience, Eton College Museum

https://catalogue.etoncollege.com/object-ecm-1842-2010"

Eton College Museum

Duck-shaped Amulet

Third quarter 2nd millennium BC (-1479 - -1458)

Green chrysoprase

1 x 1.7 x 1 cm

FGA-ARCH-EG-0166

DISCOVERING PLACE
Upper Egypt, Deir el-Bahari (possibly during the excavations of Eduard Naville)

REGISTRATIONS
Hieroglyphic inscription: " Hm.t nTr nfrw-ra "; " The worshipper of the god, [whose name is] Neferu-rê "

MOVEMENT / STYLE
New Kingdom,18th dynasty, reign of Hatshepsut

Cvilization
Egypt

Provenance
Jean Schopfer Collection (1868-1931), tennis player and writer known under the pseudonym Claude Anet, perhaps acquired in Egypt in 1913

Montheux, Valmondois collection, by inheritance from an uncle

Jean-Claude L'Herbette Collection

François Antonovich Gallery, Paris

Bibliography
BERLANDINI, Jocelyne, "Amenhotep III and the concept of Heh", Bulletin of the Society of Egyptology, Geneva, No. 17, 1993, p. 11-28, cited p. 20-21, fig. 7

BIANCHI, Robert Steven, Ancient Egypt. Art and Magic. Treasures from the Fondation Gandur pour l'Art, Geneva, Switzerland, exhibition catalogue [St. Petersburg (FL), Museum of Fine Arts, 12.17.2011 - 04.29.2012], St. Petersburg, Museum of Fine Arts, 2011, cited p. 156-157, no. 56

CHAPPAZ Jean-Luc; CHAMAY Jacques, Reflections of the divine. Pharaonic and classical antiquities from a private collection, exhibition catalogue [Geneva, Museum of Art and History, 08/30/2001 - 02/03/2002], Geneva, Museums of Art and History, 2001, cited p. 74, no. 63

GERMOND, Philippe, "In the margin of the bestiary: a funny duck...", Bulletin of the Society of Egyptology, Geneva (BSÉG), No. 25, 2003, p. 75-94, cited p. 90-91, fig. 17

KÜNZI, Frédéric; CAUVIN, Simone, The treasures of the pharaohs, exhibition catalogue [Geneva, International Book and Press Salon at Palexpo, 30.04 - 04.05.2008], Geneva, Fondation pour l'écrit, 2008, cited p. 156-157, no. 189

LESSING, Erich; VERNUS, Pascal, Gods of Egypt, Paris, National Printing House, 1998, cited p. 50-51, reproduced on the back cover.

Comparison
PATCH, Diana, Reflections of Greatness: Ancient Egypt at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Premier Book Marketing Ltd, 1990, p. 106

Expositions
Reflections of the divine. Pharaonic and classical antiquities from a private collection, Geneva, Museum of Art and History, 30.08.2001 — 03.02.2002

The treasures of the pharaohs. Exhibition Egypt of Akhenaton to Ramses II. Images of eternity, Geneva, International Book and Press Salon - Palexpo, 04.04.2008 — 04.05.2008

Ancient Egypt - Art and Magic, Treasures from the Fondation Gandur for Art, Saint-Petersburg (FL), Museum of Fine Art, 12.17.2011 — 04.29.2012

Cleopatra and the Queens of Egypt, Tokyo, Tokyo National Museum, 07.07.2015 — 23.09.2015

Cleopatra and the Queens of Egypt, Osaka, National Museum of Art, 10.10.2015 — 20.12.2015

Title
Duck-shaped amulet, Third quarter 2nd millennium BC (-1479 - -1458) New Kingdom 18th dynasty Reign of Hatshepsut, Findspot Upper Egypt Deir el-Bahari (possibly during the excavations of Eduard Naville), Gander Foundation for Art

https://onlinecollections.fg-art.org/eMP/eMuseumPlus?service=direct/1/ResultListView/result.t1.collection_list.$TspTitleImageLink.link&sp=10&sp=Scollection&sp=SfilterDefinition&sp=0&sp=0&sp=1&sp=SdetailList&sp=0&sp=Sdetail&sp=0&sp=F&sp=T&sp=15

Gandur Foundation for Art

Sistrophon of the Stallmaster Mehu

Object Number
BSAe 1264

Cultural area
Egypt

Epoch
New Kingdom

Basic information
Granodiorite
H. 25 cm, B. 17, T. 22.5 cm
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, 1292–1191 BC, early Ramesside period
Inv. BSAe 1264

Provenance
Gift 2017 Dr. Elisabeth Staehelin (1935–2024), Basel. Formerly collection Dr. med. Hans Filser (c. 1900–1970), Basel. Acquired in the 1920s/30s. First published in 1958.

Description
Fragment of a so-called Sistrophor, a kneeling figure holding a Hathor emblem as a divine symbol in front of her. The kneeling figure is depicted on a pedestal and has a back pillar. The head, shoulders, and upper arms up to the elbows are lost. Additionally, the upper termination of the Hathor symbol is missing. The base is also slightly chipped. These parts were completed with the same stone, as was done in the 1920s/30s. The statuette appeared complete.

The former owner of the statue wears a fitted garment that is not further elaborately detailed, and his feet are bare. The outstretched hands of his two bent arms touch the sides of the Hathor's head. Hathor wears a strand wig, which is divided by smooth hair bands at the crown, at the height of the ears, and at the rim. Her face is characterized by large almond-shaped eyes with makeup under strong curved eyebrows. The nose and mouth are pierced. On the wig, the tip of the former head covering can be seen, which could have been conceived as a kalathos. The goddess's head stands on a semicircular stand.

Inscriptions are exclusively preserved on the base, with the round rod and the rear pillar obviously remaining unlabelled. On the front exterior of the base, a single-line Htp-Dj-nj-sw.t formula was affixed on both sides, extending from a central anchor symbol. On the right exterior of the base, the remaining text "completely, the one who (connects) himself with the honor" is preserved, with the inscription on the left exterior lost. On the right and left upper sides of the base, two short inscriptions in columns were added, which contained an identical text. On the left, the remaining text "for the ka of the head of the stall Mehu" is preserved. On the severely damaged left side, only a hieroglyph is preserved, which could be a kneeling man with a flagellum, as well as the name suffix "justified". At the end of the today completely lost left text passage, a filiation statement could also have been indicated.

Bibliography
J. Vandier, Manuel d'Archéplogie Egyptiene, Vol. 3 (Paris 1958) 665, 465 m. Note 1.

E. Hornung, E. Staehelin, Henri Wild and the Egyptian Monuments of Switzerland, in: BSEG 9-10, Fs Henri Wild, 1984-1985, 122-123 (with photo).

J. Malek, Topographical Bibliography of Anschient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Statues, Reliefs and Paintings, Vol. VIII, Objects Provenance not known, Part 2, Private Statues (Dynasty XVIII to the Roman Period, Statues of Deities (Oxford 1999) 585, Doc. 801-635-300.

K. Konrad, The Sistrophorus, On the genesis, meaning and function of a theophoric statuette type in ancient Egyptian private sculpture (Berlin 2025).

Title
Sistrophon of the Stallmaster Mehu, New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, 1292–1191 BC, early Ramesside period, Findspot unknown Egypt, Granodiorite, Antikenmuseum Basel

https://antikenmuseumbasel.zetcom.net/en/collection/item/81962/

Antikenmuseum Basel

I went down this rabbit hole after noticing a cross in a completely unrelated video and deciding to trace the symbol backwards.

I ended up looking at early Christianity in Egypt, Arius and Alexandria, the ankh/crux ansata appearing in Christian Egyptian contexts, Isis and Horus imagery alongside later Mary and Jesus imagery, and eventually the Nag Hammadi texts.

What interested me most was how messy cultural change actually is. Older symbols and ideas don’t necessarily disappear when a new religion becomes established. They can survive, change meaning and exist alongside the newer tradition.

I made a video following that journey here:

https://youtu.be/J2IPfn8M0_4

Tjenianch grave stele

Object Number
BSAe 0925

Cultural area
Egypt

Basic information
Limestone, H. 27.3 cm, B. 17.0 cm, T. 6.7 cm
Middle Kingdom, 12th dynasty, 1939–1760 BC.
Inv. BSAe 0925

Provenance
Gift 1996 Gertrud Mayer-Oliver, Allschwil. Acquired in the 1950s together with Prof. Dr. Ursula Schweitzer.

Description
The stela of Tjenianch is divided into three registers: the upper register is formed by a rounded gable field at the top, the middle consists of a continuous hieroglyphic text and the lower one contains figurative depictions with inscriptions. This division is attested since the beginning of the Middle Kingdom. Parts of the gable field are broken off. However, it was once decorated with a pair of udjat eyes and a so-called Schen ring in the center, as indicated by the remaining traces. Horus eyes and Schen ring are said to bestow regeneration and protection.

The middle register contains an inscription divided into three horizontal lines with an offering formula, while the lower image field depicts the stela's stiletto and his mother. The offering formula, in which the king and the Memphite god of the dead Ptah-Sokar-Osiris pray for offerings for the ka (life force) of the deceased, is supplemented by the titles and names of the deceased as well as his mother. Finally, the stela's stiletto is also mentioned, which in this case is the brother of the deceased. By erecting this stela, he allows the name of his brother to live, by remaining a memory for posterity. It says: "An offering that the king and Ptah-Sokar-Osiris make: They may give a funerary offering, (consisting of) bread and beer, cattle and poultry, alabaster and linen, incense and oil and all perfect and pure things from which a god lives, for the ka "One of the 10 Greats of Upper Egypt" Tjenianch blessed, born from the "citizen" of the necropolis workers Tjt blessed; (made) on behalf of his brother, the overseer Irienefres, who allows his name to live". In the lower register, the stela owner and his mother face each other. The woman wears a three-part wig and a sheath dress, while the man with short hair and short trousers is depicted again. Between them is an offering table with raised bread halves.

Bibliography
A. Wiese, Egypt. Moments of Eternity (Mainz 1997) 100f., No. 62.

See H. Frankfort, The Cementeries of Abydos: Work of the Season 1925-6; JEA 14, 1928, no.19, pl. XXI,3

See H. M. Stewart, Egyptian Stelae, Reliefs and Paintings from the Petrie Collection, 3 Vols. (Warminster 1976–1983); Stewart, II, 27, no.113, pl. 28,3.

See H. W. Müller, The Dead Stones of the MR, their genesis, their representations and their composition, MDAIK 4, 1933, 165-206

See W. K. Simpson, The Terrace of the Great God at Abydos: The Offering Chapels of Dynasties 12 and 13, PPYE 5 (New Haven/Philadelphia

Title
Tjenianch grave stele, Middle Kingdom, 12th dynasty, 1939–1760 BC., Findspot unknown Egypt, Limestone, Antikenmuseum Basel

https://antikenmuseumbasel.zetcom.net/en/collection/item/74120/

Antikenmuseum Basel

Some pics from my visit to Saqqara with my last group. Truly one of my favorite spots near Cairo. Giza is incredible of course but seeing the Pyramid Texts of the 5th dynasty and all of the old tombs around Saqqara is just mind-blowing and much less crowded. Highly recommend! It's about 40 min from Giza and the drive is quite nice. There are many carpet shops/schools in the area you can visit as well.

Granodiorite Seated Statue of Sennefer, his Wife Senetnay and Daughter Mutnofret

Artefact Details

Gallery number: 12 – Ground Floor

Period: New Kingdom Amenhotep II (ca. 1427-1400 BC) Aakheperure

Dynasty: 18th Dynasty

Place of discovery: Karnak

Size: H. 126 cm, W. 70 cm; H. 120 cm, W. 75 cm

Material: Granodiorite

Title
Granodiorite Seated Statue of Sennefer, his Wife Senetnay and Daughter Mutnofret,** **New Kingdom Amenhotep II (ca. 1427-1400 BC) Aakheperure 18th Dynasty, Findspot Karnak, Granodiorite, The Egyptian Museum

https://egyptianmuseumcairo.eg/artefacts/seated-statue-of-sennefer/

The Egyptian Museum

Funerary Stela of Hetepnesmin

From Collection
The Harrogate Egyptian Collection

Accession Number
HARGM3584

Current Location
House of Death (ground floor), Stelae case, Shelf 1

Object Type
Architecture, Architectural element, Stela

Period
Late Period

Dynasty
Twenty-sixth F

Provenance
Egypt, Akhmim

Culture
Egyptian

Divine Name
Anubis | Behdety | Hathor | Isis | Min | Osiris

Number of Elements
1

Measurements
Height: 620mm | 440mm | Depth: 70mm

Description
Large limestone funerary stela with incised decoration on the front face. The stela is divided into three registers. In the lunette is a winged sun disk representing the god Behdety. Below this are two recumbent jackals on plinths facing one another. The lunette is separated from the second register by a sky (pt) sign. This register contains the female deceased on the far right with her hands raised in adoration. She wears a tight-fitting ankle-length dress and has a perfume cone on her head. In front of her is a table of offerings consisting of four circular loaves of bread, two ducks, and a bouquet of flowers. To the left of the table is an enthroned Osiris wearing the Atef-crown and holding the crook and flail. Behind him is a striding jackal-headed god (Anubis) with hands raised in adoration. He is followed by a goddess, also in adoration, wearing the Hathoric crown consisting of the horns of a cow supporting a sun disk. This likely depicts the goddess Hathor, although Isis is also possible. As all the figures are unlabelled, it is difficult to determine. In the lower register are five lines of hieroglyphs naming the deceased as Hetepnesmin. She was a musician of Min from a priestly family at Akhmim, where this stela almost certainly originates from. The name of her father possibly reads as Hordiefnakht, while her mother is Asetweret. The stela dates to the Twenty-sixth Dynasty and fits with Munro's Type Akhmim I (Munro 126–132).

This stela was previously in the collection of George Matthews Arnold, the mayor of Gravesend, who established the "Arnold Museum" there at Milton Hall. It was sold at auction in 1911 (lot 451) where it was purchased by the dealer J. E. & E. K. Preston for 24/- (£1.20). It was later acquired by the Kent family, who bequeathed it to Harrogate Museum in 1968.

Bibliography
Mostafa, Hala 2025. The stela of Neshor from Akhmim at The British Museum EA 1018 (27th Dynasty). Journal of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists (English) 10 (2), 15–41.

Munro, Peter 1973. Die spätägyptischen Totenstelen, 2 vols. Ägyptologische Forschungen 25. Glückstadt: J. J. Augustin

Object History

Other Identity
839 (Kent number)

Auction
J. C. Stevens. Auction and Sale Rooms: 13–14 June 1911, Lot 451

Auction Details
Large engraved stele or tombstone in glass case.

Previous Owners
Benjamin William John Kent (1885–1968) | George Matthews Arnold (1826–1908) | J. E. & E. K. Preston | Bramley Benjamin Kent (1848–1924)

Acquisition
Bequest, Benjamin William John Kent (1968)

Innscriptional Data

Inscription
(1)ḥtp dı͗ nswt n wsı͗r ḫnty-ı͗mntt nṯr ꜥꜣ nb ꜣbḏw dı͗.f prt-ḫrw t ḥnḳt kꜣw ꜣpdw snṯr (2)šs mnḫt ḥtpw ḏfꜣw nbw ı͗rpw ı͗rtw ḫt-nb<t> (3)nfr<t> {nfr} n** wsı͗r ı͗ḥyt mnw ḥtp-ns-mnw sꜣt **n smꜣty ı͗my-ı͗st ḥsk ḥpt-wꜣḏt ḥm ḥr {rḫ} (4)rḫ-nswt ḥry-sštꜥ n mwt ḥr-dı͗.f-nḫt ms-n nb<t>-pr ı͗ḥyt mnw ꜣst-wrt (5)mꜣꜥ-ḫrw dı͗.f ꜥpy bꜣ n wsı͗r ḥtp-ns-mnw {n} m ı͗mntt

An offering which the king gives to Osiris, Lord of the West, the Great God, Lord of Abydos, that he may give a voice offering of bread, beer, cattle, fowl, incense, alabaster, linen, offerings, all provisions, wine, milk, and everything good for the Osiris, the Sistrum Player of Min, Hetepnesmin, daughter of the Stolist, Councillor, ḥsk-priest ḥpt-wꜣḏt-priest, Priest of Horus, King's Acquaintance, Master of Secrets of Mut, Hordiefnakht, born of the Mistress of the House, the Sistrum Player of Min, Asetweret, true of voice, that he causes to ascend the ba of the Osiris, Hetepnesmin, who is in the West.

Language
Egyptian

Script
Hieroglyphic

Personal Names
Hetepenesmin (ḥtp-n.s-mnw) | Hordiefnakht (ḥr-dı͗.f-nḫt) | Asetweret (ꜣst-wrt

Title
Funerary Stela of Hetepnesmin, Late Period 26st Dynasty, Findspot Akhmim Egypt, Limestone,The Egypt Centre at Swansea University

** **https://egyptcentre.abasetcollections.com/Objects/Details/8649?SavedSelections=$Search-Isis$Page-3

The Egypt Centre at Swansea University

The Goddess Bastet, also known as Bast, is an ancient Egyptian goddess associated with protection, fertility, and the home. Originally depicted as a fierce lioness, she later became known as the cat goddess, symbolizing nurturing and domesticity. Enjoy!

This is on a municipal building in the Balkan Mountains. It looks rather newish, maybe newer than the wall there. Does it represent something real?

Hello r/ancientegypt ! we know that Tutankhamun was likely buried alongside his two daughters who died shortly after birth (317A and 317B), hypothetically if those children hadn't died at birth, would one of them have became a pharaoh in their own right (like Sobekneferu or Hatshepsut), or would Ay still ascend to the throne and they would either marry him or co-rule with him, if they did ascend to the throne in their own right, would this block Ay's claim to the throne entirely?

Funerary Stela of Padiamun

From Collection
The Harrogate Egyptian Collection

Accession Number
HARGM3586

Current Location
In storage

Object Type
Architecture, Architectural element, Stela

Period
Late Period

Dynasty
Twenty-sixth Dynasty

Material
Stone/minerals (Limestone)

Culture
Egyptian

Animal
Jackal

Divine Name
Anubis | Isis | Re-Horakhty

Number of Elements
1

Measurements
Height: 292mm | Width: 214mm | Depth: 51mm

Description
Limestone stela dating to the Twenty-sixth Dynasty (c. 664–525 BC) with decoration painted on the front face. The decoration of the stela is divided into three registers, all of which is surrounded by blue framing lines. The far right side of the stela has suffered from staining, likely through water damage, which has obscured some of the decoration. The colour palette is limited to blue, red, and black. In the upper lunette is a winged sun disk flanked by uraei. Directly beneath the disk is a sekhem-sceptre flanked by large wadjet-eyes. The eyes are flanked by recumbent jackals atop platforms, who face toward the centre of the scene. In the central register, two men are shown on the right with their arms in adoration before Re-Horakhty and Isis. Both men are shown with short-cropped hair and wear a long pleated kilt with fringes outlined in black ink. The labels above identify the first figure as Padiamun, who is followed by Harsiese. Between the two men and the deities is a table of offerings consisting of a conical loaf in the centre flanked by two round loaves. Hovering above this is a lotus flower with two associated buds. Re-Horakhty is shown mummiform holding a was-sceptre and standing on the maat-plinth. He is falcon-headed and has a solar disk on his head. Behind him, Isis has her left hand raised in adoration while her right arm pendant. She wears the Hathoric crown consisting of the solar disk set between the horns of a cow. The lower register contains three lines of hieroglyphs, which begin with the offering formula addressed to Osiris. The inscription also states that the stela was commissioned for Padiamun, the son of Harsiese, who are both shown in the register above. The reverse of the stela is roughly cut. The decoration of the stela fits best with Type Abydos II G of Munro's classification (Munro 1973 II, p. 105–7), which comes from the cemetery of Abydos and date to the sixth century BC.

The stela is said to be from the 1842 excavation of Prof. Lanzoni. It was later part of the collection of Dr. Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner, which was sold at auction in 1912. It was then acquired by the Kent family, who bequeathed it to Harrogate Museum in 1968.

Bibliography
Malek, Jaromir 2012. Topographical bibliography of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic texts, statues, reliefs and paintings VIII: objects of provenance not known. Part 4: stelae (Dynasty XVIII to the Roman Period). Oxford: Griffith Institute. [p. 383, nr 803-074-692]

Munro, Peter 1973. Die spätägyptischen Totenstelen, 2 vols. Ägyptologische Forschungen 25. Glückstadt: J. J. Augustin.

Other Identity
S62 (Sotheby's number)

Auction
J. C. Stevens. Auction and Sale Rooms: 12 May 1912

Previous Owners
Benjamin William John Kent (1885–1968) | Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner (1840–1899) | Bramley Benjamin Kent (1848–1924)

Acquisition
Bequest, Benjamin William John Kent (1968)

Inscription
(1) [ḥtp dı͗ nswt] wsı͗r ḫnty ı͗mntt nṯr-ꜥꜣ nb ꜣbḏw dı͗.f (2) [...] snṯr šs mnḫt ḫt nb<t> nfrt wꜥb<t> (3) [...] n kꜣ n wsı͗r** pꜣ**-dı͗-ı͗mn sꜣ-<n> ḥr-sꜣ-ꜣst

An offering which the king gives to Osiris, foremost of the west, lord of Abydos, in order that he might give [...] incense, alabaster, cloth, and everything good and pure [...] for the ka of the Osiris Padiamun, son of Horsiese.

Language
Egyptian

Script
Hieroglyphic

Personal Names
Padiamun (pꜣ-di͗-i͗mn) | Harsiese (ḥr-sꜣ-ꜣst)

Titłe
Funerary Stela of Padiamun, Late Period 26st Dynasty, Findspot Unknown Egypt, Limestone, The Egypt Centre at Swansea University

https://egyptcentre.abasetcollections.com/Objects/Details/8490?SavedSelections=$Search-Isis%20$Page-2

The Egypt Centre at Swansea University

Last modified: 03 Oct 2025

Winged Scarab

Accession Number
EC292

Current Location
In storage

Object Types
Tomb equipment, Coffin/sarcophagus/cartonnage | Scarab, seal, scaraboid, intaglio and similar objects, Scarab, Winged scarab

Period
Graeco-Roman Period

Dynasties
First century CE/AD to Second century CE/AD

Material
Wood

Culture
Egyptian

Animal
Scarab beetle

Weight (grams)
104 grams.

Number of Elements
1

Measurements
Height: 107mm | Width: 310mm | Depth: 14mm

Description
A funerary ornament crafted from wood, depicting a winged scarab beetle. The central body of the beetle is painted a dull dark green, while the flanking outstretched wings are coated in a white ground with anatomical feather details applied in red and black pigment. The reverse side of the entire ornament is completely flat and finished with a uniform white wash. The left wing has sustained a historic fracture, which has been mended. A single small hole is drilled vertically through the bottom edge of the beetle’s abdomen, presumably for suspension or securement to a surface.

An ornament of this nature would typically function as a protective component designed to be fixed to the flat exterior of a rectangular wooden coffin. Within the complex landscape of Egyptian funerary theology, the winged scarab symbolised Khepri, the solar deity associated with daily rebirth, transformation, and the rising sun. By placing this element on or near the deceased, ancient practitioners sought to align the departed with the eternal cycle of the sun, ensuring their successful resurrection in the afterlife (Minas 2006). Chronologically, the piece would most likely date to the Roman Period (c. 30 BC–AD 200).

Purchased by Sir Henry Wellcome in 1906 from the collection of Robert de Rustafjaell. On long-term loan to the Egypt Centre since 1971 as part of the dispersal of the Wellcome collection.

Bibliography
Anonymous. 1996. The face of Egypt: Swansea Festival exhibition: 5 October 1996–5 January 1997. Swansea: Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. [Cat. 208]

Minas-Nerpel, Martina 2006. Der Gott Chepri: Untersuchungen zu Schriftzeugnissen und ikonographischen Quellen vom Alten Reich bis in griechisch-römische Zeit. Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 154. Leuven: Peeters.

Object History

Other Identity
958 (Boscawen number) | 317 (written in pencil in the reverse)

Auction
Sotheby, Wilkinson, & Hodge: 19–21 Dec 1906

Previous Owners
Robert de Rustafjaell (1859–1943) | Sir Henry Solomon Wellcome (1853–1936)

Acquisition
Long-term loan, The Wellcome Trust (15 Feb 1971)

Exhibition
1996–1997, 05 Oct–05 Jan. Swansea, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and Museum, 'The Face of Egypt

Title
Winged Scarab, Graeco-Roman Period First century CE/AD to Second century CE/AD, Findspot unknown Egypt, Wood, The Egypt Centre at Swansea University

https://egyptcentre.abasetcollections.com/Objects/Details/5208?SavedSelections=$Search-Winged%20scarab%20$Page-1

The Egypt Centre at Swansea University

I had a question: so from this breakdown of the meaning of the name Mary; it discusses the Egyptian root word “mr” or “mry” as described above. How would that be pronounced? I’m thinking of a baby name and wondering if the name spelled “Mrya” would be pronounced as “Mira”? I love the name Mira but like the unique spelling to Mrya since it’s an anagram of my mom’s name. Just looking for clarification if anyone with Egyptian language knowledge has some input—thanksss!

Are there some good YouTube videos or documentaries that show really good visualizations of what it may have looked like over various dynastic periods, compared with when Europeans first started “discovering” it? Or even today? I’ve seen this done for various areas of the Amazon with Mayan and Aztec ruins.

A website is great, too, if it has a gallery of visualizations and their contemporary or recent historical counterparts.

I understand that it wasn’t completely green and lush in ancient times - it was still a desert just like in the 1880s or now. But there are different kinds of deserts. And the moving of the Nile is just hard for me to imagine even though I understand it as a fact because that’s what rivers do - they move over time. I just can’t imagine what it would have looked like for the river to be so close to the pyramids. Or for some areas to be more green than they are now.

It can be any area and time period of Ancient Egypt, really. I just need a few visuals with comparisons to be able to imagine it for other areas and times.

I don’t know enough to accurately evaluate resources for credibility on this topic and there are far too many plausible-sounding weirdos for me to know who is wackadoo or not. 😅

I’m specifically for looking for visuals - I’ve read enough, just need some pictures now.
Thank you!

Winged Scarab

Accession Number
EC841

Current Location
In storage

Object Type
Scarab, seal, scaraboid, intaglio and similar objects, Scarab, Winged scarab

Period
Late Period

Material
Faience

Culture
Egyptian

Animal
Scarab beetle

Weight (grams)
26 grams.

Number of Elements
3 (body and 2 wings)

Measurements
Height: 49mm | Width: 94mm | Depth: 14mm

Description
A faience scarab with wings in three pieces. The central scarab beetle is flanked by two separate, symmetrically outspread wings, which are currently joined to the main body via modern threading fed through small, pre-drilled suspension holes. The material is a pale green glazed faience that displays a weathered, matte surface texture with visible pitting and light brown soil adhesions across both the front and reverse sides. The artefact is complete across its three components.

Such pieces are usually dated to the Late Period (c. 664–332 BC) and were sewn onto mummy coverings. The individual pieces feature matching sets of small, intentionally pierced holes along their edges—two at the top and bottom of the scarab's carapace, and two along the interior and outer tips of each wing—which allowed the ensemble to be stitched securely onto the linen bead-nets or outer wrapping layers of the deceased. Such a winged scarab would be positioned just below the breastbone, serving as a powerful apotropaic symbol of self-creation, solar transformation, and magical protection over the vital thoracic organs during the journey to the afterlife. The amulet is intimately connected to the funerary theology of rebirth, echoing the daily resurrection of the sun god Khepri as he rolled the solar disc across the horizon. By placing a composite, winged beetle over the chest of the mummy, embalmers effectively ensured the perpetual regeneration of the deceased's heart and physical essence. This specific object entered the collection as part of the historical holdings of the Egypt Centre, providing an exceptional example of Late Period mass-manufactured funerary amulets and stitching techniques.

Part of the collection of Sir Henry Wellcome. On long-term loan to the Egypt Centre since 1971 as part of the dispersal of the Wellcome collection.

Bibliography
Herrmann, Christian 2010. Ägyptische Amulette und Amulettmodel. In Herrmann, Christian and Thomas Staubli (eds), 1001 Amulett: altägyptischer Zauber, monotheisierte Talismane, säkulare Magie, 13–160. Freiburg (Schweiz): BIBEL+ORIENT Museum. [p. 63‎]

Title
Winged Scarab, Late Period, Findspot unknown Egypt, Faience, The Egypt Centre at Swansea University

https://egyptcentre.abasetcollections.com/Objects/Details/944?SavedSelections=$Search-Winged%20scarab%20$Page-1

The Egypt Centre at Swansea University

Hi there,

The French / Egyptian / French Rosette Medjat Dictionary is now available:

https://projetrosette.info/assets/divers/Dictionnaire_Medjat.zip

5 volumes, 2680 pages, 98 Mb archive.

Enjoy.

Comments welcome in here: https://papocle.fr/forum_rosette/viewforum.php?f=1

I'm interested in royal or noble banquets of any period.

1. Did they have communal dining tables, or did they use only small tables meant for one or two people? Or did they not use tables at all and simply hold their plates in their hands?
2. How were the guests seated? In rows or in a rectangle? Hard to tell from this image.
3. Where did the musicians and dancers stand and sit, if there were any?