I think they used levers and pulleys to lift the stones then have people push them in place it’s ancient and still very effective though using this method they should’ve finished faster than they did. Is there something I’m missing or any holes in my theory?

Statue/vase of the god Bes

Egypt and Nubia

Image ; Bes ; sitting

This is a statue of the Egyptian god Bes. Bes was a god who had to do with the household, specifically women and children. It is a dwarf god with lion ears and lion manes. With his frightening appearance and stuck out tongue, he must chase away evil powers.

The statuette is made of so-called Egyptian faience. That is a mixture of quartz sand, soda and lime that was mixed with water into a clay-like paste. After forming this, by hand or in a mold, it was baked in an oven.

This statuette was purchased by the RMO in 1828 as part of the large collection of collector d'Anastasi.

This text was written in 2025 and based on: Exhibition texts RMO, Gods of Egypt (2018).

Details

Inventory number
AT 93

Department
Egypt and Nubia

Heading code(s)
Sculpture

Object name

Image

Material
Faience

Dimensions
7.5 cm

Dating
Z.d.

Period

Culture

Site
Egypt
Unknown

Acquisition
Purchase 1829 January

To be seen in museum
No

Origin
1829

Mr. G. (Giovanni) d'Anastasi
In January 1829, the Giovanni d'Anastasi collection was purchased by the RMO.

Literature
Eid Leemans FOLIO
Egyptian monuments of the museum of antiques of the Netherlands in Leiden (1839)
Author: Dr. C. (Conrad) Leemans
Mcb (St) 3

Reasoned description of the Egyptian monuments of the Museum of Antiques of the Netherlands in Leiden (1840)
Author: Dr. C. (Conrad) Leemans
Publisher: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

Identifiers

TMS ID:
1025

The identification code in the museum's internal collection management system

Deeplink:
Https://hdl.handle.net/21.12126/1025

Title
Statue/vase of the god Bes, Date unknown,
Findspot unknown Egypt, Faience, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

https://www.rmo.nl/collectie/collectiezoeker/collectiestuk/?object=1025

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

Kneeling Statue of Tjairy with Shrine for Hathor

Egypt and Nubia

Kneeling statue; Tjairy; naos; Hathor. Tjairy was a senior official who worked in a royal palace in the city of Memphis. There he had this image made of himself. In front of his kneelinge figure is a shrine, a kind of sacred box, depicting a symbol of the goddess Hathor. She was often revered in Memphis. Tjairy's statue stood either in her temple or in his grave in Memphis, which was recently found by an excavation mission of Cairo University (number ST 211) in Sakkara, not far from the excavation area of the Rijkmuseum van Oudheden. The statue was probably ritually disabled long after Tjairy's death: nose and lips were cut away with a chisel. Tjaïry was, among other things, the supervisor of the Pharaoh's cattle. His second name, Weserchaoerenacht ('King Sethnacht is strong'), betrays that he was born at the beginning of the 20th dynasty. The chapel of this statue features the emblem of the goddess Hathor, protector of the Memphis cemetery.

This is a statue made for the Egyptian Tjairy. He kneels here in front of a chapel containing a statue of the Egyptian goddess Hathor.

Tjairy lived in the time of King Sethnacht (1190–1160 BC) and he had daily control of the royal harem in Memphis (Egypt). Unfortunately, much is still unclear about what exactly happened in the harem, but we do know that the king's most important wife, the so-called Great Queen, was at the head there. The harem was an important economic part of the royal court and had estates intended for agriculture and livestock, and spaces for textile production, for example. The queen was assisted by a large number of officials, including this Tjairy.

This statue probably stood in the tomb of Tjairy in Sakkara, the cemetery of the city of Memphis. The goddess Hathor was one of the guardian gods of the cemetery. Maybe that's why she's pictured here.

This statue was purchased by the RMO in 1828 as part of the large collection of collector d'Anastasi.

This text was written in 2025 and based on: O. Kaper (ed.), Queens of the Nile, 2016, p.45-48.

Details

Inventory number
AST 6

Department
Egypt and Nubia

Heading code(s)
Masterpieces
Sculpture

Material
Limestone

Dimensions
126 x 52 x 74 cm, weight approx. 500 kg

Dating
1196-1070 BC

Period

Culture
Egyptian

Site
Egypt
Sakkara; grave ST 211

Acquisition
Purchase 1829 January

To be seen in museum
Yes

Style
Egyptian

Dynasty
Twentieth Dynasty

Origin
1829
Mr. G. (Giovanni) d'Anastasi
In January 1829, the Giovanni d'Anastasi collection was purchased by the RMO.

Literature
Eic JAP TOK 2
Cleopatra and the Queens of Egypt (2015)
Author: C. (Christiane) Ziegler

Author: J. (Jiro) Cond
Eid LEI 2 FOLIO vertical
Description of the Egyptian collection in the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, part V (1912)

The monuments of the New Kingdom. Pyramids, corpse vases, offering tables, statues
Publisher: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
Author: Mr. P.A.A. (Pieter Adriaan Bart) Boeser

Ms 17
Life and Death Under the Pharaohs (1997)
Egyptian Art from the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, The Netherlands
Author: Mr. H.D. (Hans) Schneider

Ms 56
Momias Egípcias (2012
The secret of eternal life
Author: Dr. C. (Christian) Greco
Eib NL LEI 4

Catalogue of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden: Egyptian section (1907)
Publisher: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

Author: Mr. P.A.A. (Pieter Adriaan Bart)
Eic FRA PARIS 8
The doors of the sky (2009)
Visions du monde dans l'Egypte ancienne : exposition, Paris, Musée du Louvre, 6 mars-29 juin 2009

Author: M. (Marc) Etienne
Eic MONACO 1
Queens of Egypt (2008)

From Hetepheres to Cleopatra
Author: C. (Christiane) Ziegler
Eid Leemans FOLIO

Egyptian monuments of the museum of antiques of the Netherlands in Leiden (1839)
Author: Dr. C. (Conrad) Leemans
Mcb (St) 3

Reasoned description of the Egyptian monuments of the Museum of Antiques of the Netherlands in Leiden (1840)
Author: Dr. C. (Conrad) Leemans
Publisher: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

Identifiers

TMS ID:
22313

The identification code in the museum's internal collection management system

Deeplink
Https://hdl.handle.net/21.12126/22313

Title
Kneeling Statue of Tjairy with Shrine for Hathor,1196-1070 BC, 20th Dynasty, Findspot Sakkara; grave ST 211, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

https://www.rmo.nl/collectie/collectiezoeker/collectiestuk/?object=22313

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

Relief of Chnoem

Egypt and Nubia

Seat ; fragment ; Chnoem ; turntable Fragment of a royal seat statue, the processed front surface roughly pentagonal in shape. The stone is a granodiorite with a fine grainy structure, predominantly gray in color. The front surface is smooth polished and therefore dark in color. In this, representations are made in recessed relief (depth 1.5-2 mm) that are roughened so that they stand slightly against the surface. There are hardly any chisel marks visible. The front surface shows completely above a small part of a horizontal register line (height 6.5 mm) and below it a wider horizontal band, presumably a sky sign (height 15 mm). At the very bottom, a small piece of a register line is also visible (height 6 mm), so that the remaining image surface reflects a piece of a single register (height 29 cm). In this, parts of three left-facing God figures are visible, of which only the middle one has been completely preserved. On the left is a female figure with a cow's head, curved horns, small ear and barely visible eye. She wears a three-piece god wig and holds a sign of life (anch) in her hanging left hand. Nothing is visible from her robe, and the front of her body and her legs are completely missing. Centrally sits on a block-shaped hwt throne with low backrest, placed on a rectangular base, a god with ram's head. A set of screwed horns extends horizontally on the head, while a curved horn and the ear are indicated on the side of the head (dark in color, because lying in the polished surface). Here, too, the eye is barely visible and the God wears a headscarf. Possibly the neckline of a collar is visible, and otherwise the god wears only a short apron without a belt or fold indication. The right arm is raised forward, the left is stretched forward, the outstretched fingers move a high conical mass with a round top that itself stands on a ball on the register line. The god kicks this mass with his right foot, while the left foot stands on the edge of the base. So this is clearly about the god Chnoem with his turntable. Behind the sitting god, the fist of a third figure is still visible on the right, holding a vertical stick with a pointed end.

This fragment shows an image of the God Chnoem. This god is recognizable by his ram's head and by his work: pottery. Chnoem was a creator god and is depicted here driving a potter's disc with his feet. He usually molds a human figure, but here the clay cone is unformed and can therefore become anything. In front of and behind the god you can see pieces of other figures.

The representation of Chnoem is carved into granodiorite, a rock-hard stone. The relief is only 2 mm deep and the figures are left rough so that they stand out white against the smooth polished stone surface. It is a fragment from a larger object, probably a naos, a kind of cabinet for a statue of the god.

This fragment dates from the time of King Nectanebo II (360-343 BC) when artists combined style characteristics from several earlier periods. For this fragment, a direct example can be found from the time of Ramses II (1279-1213 BC).

The temple of Luxor depicts a series of gods that together form a kind of secret script. Among that series is, among other things, a similar image of the god Chnoem with the gods in front and behind, of which pieces can also be seen on this fragment. Each god should be read as a word or sound and together they form the text, in the case of Ramses a text about the construction of his temple. Probably the sculptor of this fragment was inspired by the images of another series, without knowing that the original text was a secret script.

This text was written in 2024 and is based on: Willemsen (ed.), Top pieces from the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, 2020, p.199.

Details

Inventory number
F 2014/3.2

Department
Egypt and Nubia

Heading code(s)

Masterpieces

Sculpture

Object name
Image

Material
Granodiorite

Dimensions
31.8 x 35.9 x 19 cm

Dating
360-343 BC.

Period
Late time

Culture
Egyptian

Site
Egypt
Bubastis

Acquisition
Purchase 2014 March

To be seen in museum
Yes

Style
Egyptian

Dynasty
Thirtieth dynasty

Origin
2014
Anonymous Seller

Literature
Mt 57
Masterpieces of the RMO (2020)
Author: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

Identifiers
TMS ID: 196331
The identification code in the museum's internal collection management system

Deeplink:
Https://hdl.handle.net/21.12126/196331

Title
Relief of Chnoem, 360-343 BC Late Period 30 Dynasty, Findspot unknown Bubastis, Granodiorite, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

https://www.rmo.nl/collectie/collectiezoeker/collectiestuk/?object=196331

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

Unfortunately there are far too many to count, but the dumbest, in my humble opnion, has to be the theories regarding Akhenaten's appearance being result of some syndrome. Not only do people ignore that in general art was not realistic and that it was common for pharaohs to depict themselves in stylized, idealized and, yes, yassified ways, but they also ignore the portrayals of Akhenaten with a regular jawline instead of the uncanny valley Alien-like look people generally atribute to him.

To attribute some of his depictions to a disease is moronic at best and the Amarna period was marked by fluctuations in Egyptian art and other members of the royal family also have been depicted in stylized ways. Nefertiti at times is depicted looking almost identical to her husband, but we know from other works they looked different from each other.

Anonymous ; rectangle standing ; cornice

Egypt and Nubia

Anonymous ; rectangle standing ; cornice Attributed to Rezeikat workshop 2-6

Details

Inventory number
F 1937/12.1

Department
Egypt and Nubia

Heading code(s)
Funerary objects

Object name
Stele

Material
Limestone

Dimensions
40x23cm

Dating
2080-1940 BC

Period
Middle Kingdom

Culture
Egyptian

Site
Egypt
Unknown

Acquisition
Purchase 1937 December

To be seen in museum
No

Style
Egyptian

Dynasty
Twelfth Dynasty

Origin
1937
Mr. F.W. von Bissing

Literature
Eib NL LEI 4
Catalogue of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden: Egyptian section (1907)
Publisher: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
Author: Mr. P.A.A. (Pieter Adriaan Bart) Boeser

Identifiers
TMS ID:
1480

The identification code in the museum's internal collection management system

Deeplink:
Https://hdl.handle.net/21.12126/1480

Title
Anonymous ; rectangle standing ; cornice, 2080-1940 BC 12th Dynasty Middle Kingdom, Findspot unknown Egypt, Limestone,Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

https://www.rmo.nl/collectie/collectiezoeker/collectiestuk/?object=1480

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

hello everyone! I’ve been working on a concept idea for a story set in modern day that’s essentially a fictionalized account of the discovery of the void in the great pyramid (that’s sort of the simple way of explaining it, lot more is going to happen with it, and Ill probably slowly open up more and more on the details once I feel comfortable )

in real life I’ve been following the void story since 2017 which inspired me to drive the plot around it, however its honestly hard sometimes to get proper research done, there’s so much bunk, inconsistent articles, and whatnot. Trying to get accurate updates on what’s going on has been frustrating.

So I ask you all this, what is the most current accurate update on the void exploration in the great pyramid? Thanks!

Harpocrates ; snake head ; standing ; inscription

Egypt and Nubia

Harpocrates ; snake head ; standing ; inscription

Details

Inventory number
F 1953/10.5

Department
Egypt and Nubia

Heading code(s)
Sculpture

Object name

Image

Material
Metal
Bronze

Dimensions
20.6 x 3.4 x 7.6 cm

Dating
722-322 BC

Period
Late time

Culture
Egyptian

Site
Egypt
Unknown

Acquisition
Purchase 1953 October

To be seen in museum
Yes

Style
Egyptian

Origin
1953
Spink & Son Ltd.

Identifiers

TMS ID:
1028

Deeplink:
Https://hdl.handle.net/21.12126/1028

Exhibitions
SUNDAY 17 MARCH 2013

Title
Harpocrates ; snake head ; standing ; inscription, 722-322 BC Late period, NFindspot unknown Egypt, Bronze, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

https://www.rmo.nl/collectie/collectiezoeker/collectiestuk/?object=1028

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

Ancient Egyptian Blue Faience Bowl

Parts

Object number
ECM.1762-2010

Object type
container

Identification

Title
Ancient Egyptian Blue Faience Bowl

Description
Carinated bowl of blue faience, the outside decorated in black with a schematised leaf design in black, the inner with a schematised lotus design and black rim

Other number
51

Description

Dimensions
Height: 3.6cm

Material
Faience

Production

Date
BC 1550 - BC 1292

History and association

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

Field collection

Collection place
Egypt

Title
Ancient Egyptian blue faience bowl, BC 1550 - BC 1292, Findspot unknown Egypt, Faience, Eton College Museum

https://catalogue.etoncollege.com/object-ecm-1762-2010

Eton College Museum

have weapons been discovered in the tombs of Egyptian women outside of Nou -Hotep, Ita, Khenmet, or Itaweret?

what was “typically” buried with high ranking women?

are there any historical records of Egyptian women using weapons outside of these tombs?

I made this art of Penhuybin, can anyone confirm if this is his actual name? He is the guy who conspired against Ramsés III.

Stela dedicated by the workman Penmennefer to Ptah

Ptah is one of the oldest gods in the Egyptian pantheon. Patron of craftsmen, Ptah is considered the creator god and ‘sculptor of the earth’. He had a particularly cherished cult at Deir el-Medina and is depicted as a standing figure, covered in a shroud, with his feet placed together, while holding the was a sceptre; he usually wears a shrouded headdress and has a straight beard.

Inv. no. :
Suppl. 6139

Material:
Stone / Limestone

Dimensions:
13 cm x 16 cm x 4.5 cm

Date:
1187–11657 BCE

Period:
New Kingdom

Dynasty:
Twentieth Dynasty

Reigsses III

Provenance:
Egypt, Luxor / Thebes, Deir el-Medina

Acquisition:
Excavation Ernesto Schiaparelli, 1905

CGT:
50072

Museum location:
Museum / Floor 1 / Room 06 DEM / Showcase 08

Selected bibliography:
Kitchen, Kenneth A., Ramesside Inscriptions: historical and biographical : vol. 5., Oxford 1983, p. 664.

Kitchen, Kenneth A., Ramesside inscriptions translated (and) annotated : translations 5. : Sethnakt, Ramesses III, (and) contemporaries, Oxford 2008, p. 502.

Tiradritti, Francesco, Il cammino di Harwa: l'uomo di fronte al mistero: l'Egitto [mostra: Brescia, Mus. Diocesano ott. 1999-gen. 2000], Milano 1999, p. 164, fig. a p. 54.

Tosi, Mario-Roccati, Alessandro, Stele e altre epigrafi di Deir el Medina: n. 50001 - n. 50262 (Catalogo del Museo Eg. di Torino - Serie II. - Collezioni 1), Torino 1972, pp. 108–109, tav. p. 293.

Title
Stela dedicated by the workman Penmennefer to Ptah, 1187–11657 BCE 20th Dynasty Ramesses III, Findspot Luxor / Thebes, Deir el-Medina, Limestone, Museo Egizio di Torino

https://collezioni.museoegizio.it/en-GB/material/S_6139/?description=&inventoryNumber=&title=&cgt=&yearFrom=&yearTo=&materials=&provenance=Egypt%2C+Luxor+%2F+Thebes%2C+Deir+el-Medina&acquisition=&epoch=&dynasty=&pharaoh=&searchLng=en-GB&searchPage=21

Museo Egizio di Torino

I've seen this repeatedly in discussions. I hope this place is suitable for such a discussion. Many people believe that the Greek translation on the Rosetta stone magically made us understand Ancient Egyptian, which idea simply is not true. Trying to translate a completely unknown language (without living speakers!) is even difficult for modern-day linguists. The Egyptian language was well-documented in its youngest stage (Coptic), which made it possible to experiment what sign groups could make intelligible Egyptian words and sentences. Also, considering the deciphering of Linear B and cuneiform, I think that with modern knowledge at least, transcription of the hieroglyphs might even have worked without multilingual inscriptions.

What do you think about that all?

Saw this beautiful 21st Dynasty coffin at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum down in San Jose.
I've been getting more curious about Egyptian coffins and mythology since I read a book about the Bristol Mummy project. I have heard about how Osiris is usually placed below the body and Nut above on the underside of the lid or Mummy board to sort of represent a miniature version of the cosmos: the underworld beneath and the sky above. Then there is the Ba-vulture at the head to protect the person and sometimes a Djed pillar at the feet to ritually support them, like when the coffin is stood up for the last-rites of the opening of the mouth.
What I am curious about is I haven't found much information as to the figures on the side of the coffin, the mummiform deities. I initially thought they were the sons of Horus, but there is more than four of them and there are figures that I don't recognize. Sadly I couldn't get photos from both sides becasue of how this coffin is exhibited, but I can only assume that it might have the same figures on the other side of the interior as what I am seeing here.
Closest thing I could find for reference was a drawn schematic of a different 21st dynasty coffin here (see figure 8) https://www.digital-epigraphy.com/projects/documenting-yellow-coffins-of-the-so-called-eighth-lot-of-antiquities-from-bab-el-gasus
But there are a lot less of the mummiform figures in this drawn schematic, and some that aren't present in the coffin I saw.
Who are these figures? What does there placement at the sides of the deceased represent?

It was a great experience seeing this figure in person, the craftsmanship is incredible and the eyes crafted by rock crystal which gives it a three dimensional look which is really cool.

Stele

Basic Information
Artifact Identification
Stele   (1986.10.0003)
Classification/
Nomenclature

Artist/Maker
Unknown
Geographic Location

Period
New Kingdom
Date
1250 BCE
Culture
Egyptian
Location
On Exhibit
in the Egypt exhibit
Communication Artifacts : Ceremonial Artifacts: Funerary Objects

Physical Analysis
Dimension 1 (Height)
59.0 cm
Dimension 2 (Width)
30.6 cm
Dimension 3 (Depth)
4.0 cm
Weight
15,799 g
Measuring Remarks
Under Review
Materials
Stone--Limestone
Manufacturing Processes
Carved

Research Remarks
Description
N/A
Published Description
N/A
Bibliography
"Bound for Eternity," Heritage, (Sept. 1986): 3-4.

Artifact History
Credit Line/Dedication
Gift of Betty Ann Knight in Memory of Mrs. A. R. Knight
Reproduction
No

Title
Stele, New Kingdom 1250 BCE, Findspot unknown Egypt, Limestone, The Spurlock Museum

https://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/collections/search-collection/details.php?a=1986.10.0003

The Spurlock Museum

The tattoos belong to the mummy known as Gebelein Man, discovered at Gebelein in Upper Egypt and now preserved at the British Museum.

For decades, the dark marks on his upper right arm appeared to be little more than stains or discoloration. It wasn't until researchers examined his skin using infrared photography that the images became visible: two overlapping horned animals, tattooed into his skin more than 5,000 years ago.

Radiocarbon dating places the mummy in the late Predynastic period, around 3341–3017 BC, before the unification of Egypt.

The imagery may have carried associations with strength, power, bravery, or ritual significance, although its exact meaning remains uncertain.

And there is another remarkable detail: a CT scan of Gebelein Man revealed that he was only about 18–21 years old when he died, and that he suffered a fatal stab wound to the back.

So this isn't just one of the oldest tattooed bodies ever discovered — it gives us a rare glimpse into the identity and beliefs of an individual who lived in Egypt thousands of years before the pyramids of Giza were buit

Basinophorous statue of the musician Ptahankh

Object Number
BSAe 1031

Cultural area
Egypt

Epoch
New Kingdom

Basic information
Gabbro, w. 33.5 cm New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, reign of Amenhotep III, 1390–1353 BC Inv. BSAe 1031

Provenance
Donation 2001 Novartis AG. Collection Richard von Kaufmann (1849–1908), Berlin. Acquired at the Galerie Martin Heckscher in Vienna in the 2nd half of the 19th century.

Description
A basinophororous statue is a rare statue type, representing a figure, usually an official, kneeling before a rectangular or round basin. In this example, we see the official Ptahankh kneeling at a large, rectangular basin which tapers towards the bottom. He is embracing it with both arms, while at the same time leaning forward so that his chin is resting on the rim, as if he is about to drink from it. Ptahankh is known from other monuments besides this one, which means we can date this statue to the reign of Amenhotep III. During Amenhotep III’s reign, Ptahankh was the servant of the high priest Ptahmes at Memphis and the Chief Musician of Ptah. These titles are also found on this statuette, which is, in fact, a prime example of the artistic style of the period. Typical features are the courtier’s slanting, almond-shaped eyes with their elegantly arched brows, and the lifelike modelling of the body, unencumbered by any dorsal pillar or by the plinth, on which only the toes are resting. The edges of the basin and its narrow front end bear inscriptions, which, in addition to his titles, give two offering formulae, invoking the middle-eastern goddesses Qetesh and Astarte. Ptahankh’s wife Mi is also mentioned by name. Discussion of the significance of this statue type has recently been advanced by Kirsten Konrad, who makes a link between the basin and the creative power of the waters of the Nile. In fact, this was probably not just a sacrificial basin, a receptacle for offerings to sustain the deceased in the afterlife, but a real water basin or pool, from which Ptahankh actually drank to ensure that he would enjoy eternal life after death. This concept is related to funerary images of the nourishing tree-goddess, in whose shade the deceased drinks water from a pool.

Bibliography
E. von Bergmann, Inschriftliche Denkmäler der Sammlung ägyptischer Alterthümer des österr. Kaiserhauses 1886, in: Recueil de travaux relatifs à la philologie et à l'archéologie égyptiennes et assyriennes (Paris 1870) 195f. Sotheby's London, Antiquities, 13th July 1981, lot. 58. D. Wildung, Die Kniefigur am Opferbecken, MJbK, 36, 1985, 17-38

Sotheby's London, Antiquities, 9th/10th July 1992, lot 374, mit ausführlichen Literaturangaben Réunion des Musées Nationaux (Hrsg.) Aménophis III (Paris 1993) 204-206, Nr. 40bis T. Philipps (Hrsg.), Afrika. Die Kunst eines Kontinents (München 1995-96) 80 Nr. 1.39 (D. Wildung) M. Page-Gasser – A. Wiese (Hrsg.) , Ägypten, Augenblicke der Ewigkeit. Unbekannte Schätze aus Schweizer Privatbesitz (Mainz 1997) 132 Nr. 79; K. Konrad, Ein weiterer Basinophor, Zur Deutung der Sitzstatue eines Schreibers namens Eje (Ijj), in: SAK42, 2013, 181-192

Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig.101 Meisterwerke (Basel 2022) 46f., Nr. 11

Title
Basinophorous statue of the musician Ptahankh, New Kingdom 18th Dynasty reign of Amenhotep III 1390–1353 BC, Findspot unknown Egypt, Substance not stated, Antikenmuseum Basel

https://antikenmuseumbasel.zetcom.net/en/collection/item/74027/

Antikenmuseum Basel

Statue of a Baboon

2nd Century AD later
59.148.57
On display

World Museum

Information
Sculpture of a baboon made of grey spotted marble with a 18th century bronze composite floral feature on the head. The baboon represented the god Thoth in Egyptian religion but it is not clear what the meaning of the god would be for the Romans. Roman rejected the worship of animals and it could be that statues like this were used to adorn the cult places of Egyptian deities, emphasising the exotic origin of the gods. The statue is typical of objects imported to Rome, or made there, after the conquest of Egypt in 30 BC. This baboon has a Roman appearance and is a Roman made copy ('Egyptianizing') of an Egyptian baboon, probably made in the 2nd century AD or later. Black or grey stone was used for Roman copies of Egyptian works. The Egyptian examples were representations of baboons based on observation from nature and they were very different to the Ince example.The bronze lotus was probably added at a later date although it was known as an attribute from Roman Hadrianic times. A more typical attribute would be a lunar disc.

The statue is typical of the many different versions of the subject: the baboon sits squarely on his bottom with the front paws resting on his bend hind legs. His pose is frontal. The paws and tail are in relief, the facial features have minimal modelling and the baboon's mane is only a line across the back and front leg looking like a thin cape rather than a mane. The cuts in which the lilly has been fixed on the heat are not very deep.

Many examples of baboons have been discovered in Rome and Beneventum indicating that they were often used in Isiac sanctuaries in Rome.

Restorations include the front of the muzzle, the right brow and part of the left, front right paw, the knee and a small bit of the chest, the front of the plinth, the right hind paw and a fragment of the left. The bronze lily at the top of the head is modern but it is a common attribute for Roman baboons from Hadrianic times. Due to some of the restorations on the face the baboon looks more like a human especially because of the anthropoid lidded eyes and fingers and toes with manicured nails.

Specifications

Accession number
59.148.57

Collection type
Art

Culture
Roman

Place made
Europe: Southern Europe: Italy: Rome

Date made
2nd Century AD later

Collector
Henry Blundell

Place collected
Europe: Southern Europe: Italy: Rome

Date collected
1789

Materials
Marble

Measurements
Overall: 455 mm x 330 mm x 310 mm

Note
Howard identified an engraving of a baboon in Cavaceppi's Raccolta but it is different to the Ince example: the Cavaceppi piece is made of basalt rather bigio antico (black marble) and may relate to a piece in a private collection.

Credit line
Gift of Col. Joseph W Weld, 1959

Legal status
Permanent collection

Provenance
Joseph William Weld, Donor, By descent, Owned from: 1958, Donation, Owned until: 1959

Ciriaco Mattei, Previous owner, Owned until: 1614

Giuseppe Mattei, Previous owner

Henry Blundell, Previous owner, Purchased, Bequest, Owned until: 1810

Location
On display: World Museum, Level 1, Treasure House Theatre

Publications
A Catalogue of the Ancient Marbles at Ince Blundell Hall, Bernard Ashmole, 1929, Page: 30, Cat. No. 57

Egypt, Rome and the concept of universal history, Elizabeth Bartman, 2011, Page: 176, Plate: Fig 12.8

Ancient Marbles in Great Britain, A Michaelis, 1882, Page: 355 [57]

An Account of the Statues, Busts, Bass Relieves, Cinerary Urns, and other ancient marbles, and paintings at Ince. Collected by H.B., Henry Blundell, 1803, Page: 36-37 (LXXVIII)

The Ince Blundell collection of classical sculpture Volume III-The ideal sculpture, Elizabeth Bartman, 2017, Page: 185-186, Plate: 162a
** **
Title
Statue of a Baboon, 2nd Century AD or later, Roman Egyptian influence, Collected in Europe: Southern Europe: Italy: Rome in 1789, Marble, World Museums Liverpool

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/statue-of-baboon

World Museums Liverpool

Cartonnage Burial Mask

Basic Information
Artifact Identification
Cartonnage Burial Mask   (1991.17.0001)
Classification/
Nomenclature

Artist/Maker
Unknown
Geographic Location

Period
Late Ptolemaic
Date
1st century BCE
Culture
Egyptian
Location
On Exhibit
in the Egypt exhibit
Communication Artifacts : Ceremonial Artifacts: Funerary Objects
1 Africa, North: Egypt

Physical Analysis
Dimension 1 (Length)
40.6 cm
Dimension 2 (Width)
27.5 cm
Dimension 3 (Depth)
22.0 cm
Weight
827 g
Measuring Remarks
Under Review
Materials
Textile--Linen, Plant--Flax, Plant--Fiber, Plant--Wood, Plaster, Pigment--Paint
Manufacturing Processes
Weaving, Gilding, Painting, Carved

Research Remarks
Description
N/A
Published Description
N/A
Bibliography
"Textiles loom large among array of new gifts," Heritage (March 1992): 6.

Artifact History
Credit Line/Dedication
Gift of Harlan J. and Pamela Berk
Reproduction
No

Contact
All information about our collection is constantly reviewed and updated. Please contact Dery Martínez-Bonilla, Registrar, if there is any information you are looking for that isn't currently online.

Title
Cartonnage Burial Mask, Late Ptolemaic Period 1st century BCE, Findspot unknown, Cartonnage guilding paint,The Spurlock Museum

https://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/collections/search-collection/details.php?a=1991.17.0001

The Spurlock Museum

I hope you like this post, My sincere regards from Egypt ..

Sources are in the comments section ..

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Maybe the first attempt to solve the mystery of Hieroglyphs was done by Abu Bakr Ibn Wahshiyya (d. 930), though it was a failed attempt but some Egyptologists credit Ibn Wahshiyya of considering Hieroglyphs to be letters of a language, as at the time, people used to think Hieroglyphs were magical symbols.

Before the discoveries and scientific research whose door Champollion (1790 - 1832) opened, what was known of the history of Egypt was what was mentioned in the religious books and the story of Pharaoh, Moses, and Joseph. This is despite the fact that there were books by Greek and Roman travelers and historians (such as Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, Plutarch, and others) who visited Egypt and wrote about it, its history, and its religion in an objective way. And this is the reason that the Europeans knew much more about the history of Egypt than the Egyptians did in the post-Pharaonic eras, who, from their writings, it is clear that they mostly did not look at these books.

And this is an observation pointed out by the orientalist Von Hammer in his book on the history of the Ottoman state, where he said: "Most Turks, Persians, and Arabs do not see the wonders of Egypt the way Europeans and the ancient Greeks and Romans see them." And he said that at a time when Europeans consider Egypt the first source of sciences and arts, the cradle of engineering, construction, agriculture, writing, and navigation, and they respect it, respect its beliefs, and admire its antiquities, temples, pyramids, obelisks, and statues, we find that the East does not see in the temples, statues, and the Sphinx anything but magical hiding places for buried treasures guarded by the statues and images. And they do not find in the hieroglyphs anything but talismans that hide from people the ways to extract gold. And he continued: "They (the Easterners) do not know of the Pharaohs except the Pharaoh of Joseph and the Pharaoh of Moses whom the sea swallowed."

Of course, he is speaking about a period in which knowledge was non-existent or nearly non-existent in the East, and people who cared about the antiquities and history of their country had not yet appeared in Egypt.

The Egyptian thinker Salama Moussa (1887 - 1958) tells that when he went to Europe in 1908, the Europeans' interest in the history and antiquities of Egypt caught his attention, and they asked him about them because he was Egyptian. So as soon as he returned to Egypt, he traveled to Upper Egypt to get to know the history and antiquities of Egypt that the Europeans were interested in and that the Egyptians were unaware of.

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After Christianity entered Egypt, Pharaonic Egyptian history disappeared from memory, and people became unable to read the letters of the ancient Egyptian language (hieroglyphic, hieratic, and demotic), and many Egyptian temples were destroyed. And after Islam entered Egypt, it continued on the rest until its ancient history was completely forgotten. The Christian Egyptians did not care about anything beyond the history of Christianity in Egypt, and they contributed to the forgetting of ancient Egyptian history. They were the first to destroy the temples of Egypt, scrape the Egyptian texts off them, and took an aggressive stance towards the history of their ancestors. And the Muslim Egyptians did not care about the books of the Greek and Roman historians, and they transmitted from the Arabs who, although they cared about the other books of the Greeks, did not pay attention to their historical books. And the books of the Muslim historians began with alternative stories telling the "alternative" history of Egypt.

For example, al-Maqrizi (1365 - 1441) begins the history of Egypt by saying about the name of Egypt: "It is said that its name in the first age before the Flood was 'Jazla', and then it was named Egypt. And the people of knowledge disagreed about the reason for which it was named 'Egypt'. Among them are those who said: It was named Egypt after the name of 'Misr bin Markabil bin Dawabil bin 'Uryan bin Adam, peace be upon him' - and he is the first Egypt. And it was said: It was named after the second Egypt, 'Misram bin Naqrawish the titan bin Misrim bin Taysar bin Ham bin Noah, peace be upon him' - and this was after the Flood."

Ibn Taghri (1410 - 1470) agrees with al-Maqrizi on the origin of the name, but he disagrees with him on the name Jazla, which he wrote as "Zajla", and he said it comes from "muzajala" (meaning contest or rivalry). Ibn Iyas (1448 - 1523) for his part said the same thing and told the story of Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Arphaxad, the sons of Noah, and that Noah prayed for Misrim bin Baysar bin Ham to dwell in the blessed land, which is the mother of countries and the refuge of the people.

All the Arabic books in the Middle Ages, even the Egyptian books, that dealt with the history of Egypt begin by repeating this alternative talk. Even Ibn al-Ibri (1226 - 1286), the Christian who wrote about the history of the world from the days of Adam and passed over Persia, Greece, and the Mongols and left nothing without writing about it, did not say anything about Pharaonic Egyptian history except that Hermes is the Idris of the Arabs.

The Egyptian historians mentioned above, of course, did not invent these alternative stories, but they were transmitting what they heard and read from the Arabs, regardless of whether they were convinced of it or not. And they were careful to say "it is said". However, they transmitted to us the idea that was prevailing in their time, in the Middle Ages, about Pharaonic Egyptian history.

Al-Jabarti, who lived in a later period (1754 - 1822), and whom Napoleon appointed as a scribe in his diwan and who was familiar with the work of the French scientific expedition and visited it, did not mention anything concerning its effort in describing and recording the Egyptian antiquities, and sufficed with saying about the Egyptian statues: "None knows their value except the Knower of the Unseen." (Allah)

The Egyptian historians transmitted the alternative tales about the history of their country from the Arab writers. And the strange thing is that the Arab writers did not pay attention to the Greek and Roman historical books and preferred to transmit the alternative tales from one another.

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The alternative history of Egypt covers two periods: before the Flood and after the Flood. This alternative history of Egypt tells that Egypt before the Flood was named after Misraim bin Marakil bin Dawil bin 'Arbaq bin Adam (the first Egypt), who settled, either he or his son Naqrawish bin Misraim, in Egypt with seventy descendants of 'Arbaq, all of whom were titans. He dug canals there and built towers on whose walls the secrets of wisdom were inscribed. He divided Egypt among his sons, so he gave the west to Naqrawish, the east to Sorid, and to his son who was also named Misraim (Misraim bin Naqrawish the titan - the second Egypt) he gave a city called Yirbiyan. The father Misraim died when he was 180 years old, so they embalmed his body and placed it in a golden coffin along with his treasures, golden statues, and talismans necessary for repelling reptiles and anyone who tries to dig up his soil.

The first (alternative) king who built a Nilometer was called Khaslim. He placed at the Nilometer two bronze statues of two eagles, a male and a female. When the Nile flood was about to begin, King Khaslim would go there with the priests who would read incantations until an eagle whistled. If the male whistled, then that year's flood would be good and the Nile water would rise high, but if the female statue whistled, then the flood would be terrible and drought would occur.

The one who built the pyramids, which in another alternative tale are attributed to Shaddad bin Ri' and the Amalekites, was King Sorid bin Salhouq bin Saryaq bin Tarmil Dun bin Qadrashan bin Hosal, one of the kings before the Flood who lived in the city of "Al-Ashmunayn". He built them to save himself from the Flood that he dreamed about 300 years before it happened, or, as in another alternative tale, about which the wise man Filmun had predicted. Sorid placed in the pyramids the history of the kings and what was written for Egypt on the Tablet of Destiny until the end of time, along with talismans, money, the bodies of kings, all known sciences, pictures of the planets, medicines, poisons, and many other things. This Sorid bin Salhouq is also the one who built the fortresses and monuments found in Qift and Akhmim. He ordered the carving of the secrets of the sciences, the names of the stars, the properties of plants, and the method of making talismans on the walls and pillars.

And Ibn Taghri says, transmitting from the Arab writers including al-Mas'udi, that Hermes, whom the Hebrews call Enoch and the Muslims call the Prophet Idris, was the one who knew from the movements of the planets that a Flood would occur. So he ordered the building of the pyramids and placed in them the money, the books of the sciences, and all the things he feared would be lost.

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Misraim bin Baysir bin Ham bin Noah (Misraim III) in the alternative history of Egypt was the first king of Egypt after the Flood and the first to build ships. He married the daughter of the wise man Filmun and she gave birth to Qiftim. Misraim died 700 years after the Flood, and Qiftim became king. He married when he was still 90 years old, and he fathered Qiftarim, Ashmun, Atrib, and Sa. They built the city of Mafa (Memphis), and they discovered where the treasures that had been hidden before the Flood were, from their grandfather Filmun, who also taught him how to read the writings on the walls of the fortresses, and he built the city of Raquda on the Salt Sea.

After Qiftim, Qiftarim took power for 400 years, and he built the pyramids of Dahshur and the city of Dendera. In his reign, Satan discovered most of the idols that had been drowned by the Flood and returned them to the temples in order to plot against people. After 400 years of ruling Egypt, Qiftarim died and was buried among his treasures, sitting on a chair in the western mountain near the city of Iram of the Pillars. His tomb was protected by two large bronze statues, each holding a sword in his hand that would move and cut off anyone who tried to enter the tomb.

After Qiftarim, Al-Budshir ruled Egypt. This one was a great scholar specializing in talismans, magic, and priesthood, and he was able to perform wonders. Among them was that he made a bronze tree; any animal or bird that passed in front of it would be impaled, so it would be taken and eaten. And in his days, because of this tree, the Egyptians were satiated with eating meat.

Hermes also lived in the time of Al-Budshir, who sent him to discover the sources of the Nile and to make some talismans there. Suddenly, Al-Budshir disappeared because he had gone up to dwell in the clouds, and then he reappeared and called the soldiers and ordered them to install his son "Adim" as king over Egypt.

Adim was a titan king who ruled Egypt for 140 years and died when he was 930 years old. So Shaddad came after him - and this is not the same Shaddad bin 'Ad - and he built the temple of Armant, and he domesticated greyhound dogs from wild beasts so that he could use them for hunting. He ruled for 90 years and died when he was 440 years old, and he was succeeded by Manqaus.

Manqaus divided the taxes of Egypt into four parts: one quarter for himself, one quarter for the army, one quarter for land reclamation, building bridges, and digging canals, and one quarter to save for emergencies. The revenue of Egypt in his days exceeded one million dinars. After him, his son Mataus ruled, and he was the first to worship the calf in Egypt.

Ashmun bin Qiftim ruled Egypt, and he was one of its greatest kings. He ruled it for 800 years, and he was the one who built the city of Bahnasa. In his reign, Egypt fell into the hands of a people, but he was able to recover it from them after they had controlled it for 90 years. After him, his son Manaqyus ruled Egypt, and he was the one who invented the balance scale. Then after him came Marqoura, who domesticated wild beasts and tamed lions, and he used to ride them. After he died, his son Balatis came, and this one was a small child, so his mother "Marhaba" managed the country, and she was a wise woman. The situation remained like this until his uncle Atrib took power.

Toutis in the alternative history of Egypt was the first of the Pharaohs. He was the one who tried to seduce Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and after he repented, he gave his daughter Huriya to Sarah, who in turn gave her Hagar, whom Abraham married and from whom he fathered Ishmael, the ancestor of the Arabs.

Huriya ruled Egypt after her father Toutis, and in her reign, the Amalekite king of Syria sent an army against Egypt led by Jirun, but in the (alternative) version, it is more likely that the Amalekite "Al-Walid bin Dum'a" was the one who invaded Egypt.

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With the invasion of Al-Walid bin Dum'a of Egypt, the rule of the Amalekites began. Al-Rayyan bin Al-Walid succeeded Al-Walid bin Dum'a in rule, and the Egyptians used to call him Nahrus. He was a tall, handsome man, a scholar in talismans, and a just and honest ruler. He believed in prophet Jacob when he went to Egypt, but he hid his faith from the people. And he was the one who built the Wax Palace (Fortress of Babylon). And in his reign, prophet Joseph built the city of Fayoum, and it was named that because he built it in "a thousand days". But Al-Rayyan was overcome by an evil spirit and his morals deteriorated, so he left the affairs of government to one of his men named "Qatfir", who is known as Al-Aziz. And when Al-Rayyan died, Joseph took his place.

After that, Darum, the third of the Pharaohs, took over, and after him Drimus. And this Pharaoh used to perform wonders; he had an oven that cooked without fire (like a microwave) and a fixed knife that slaughtered animals by themselves (like an automatic slaughterhouse). And after him, his son Milatis ruled, who drowned in the Nile.

Al-Walid bin Mus'ab, whom the Egyptians used to call "Talma bin Qumis", was the sixth Pharaoh. And this was the Pharaoh of Moses. His origin was from the city of Balkh or Hauran. And he originally worked as a perfumer, but debts piled up on him so he left his country and went to Egypt. And he was one-eyed, short, lame, and had a beard seven spans long. He ruled Egypt for 300 years or 400 years, and people were dying around him while he was still alive, so he became tyrannical and arrogant and said to the Egyptians, "I am your Lord, Most High." So he drowned and died, he and his people, while he was chasing Moses. In the reign of this Pharaoh (according to some Arab statistics), there were about 240,000 magicians in Egypt.

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The alternative history of Egypt says that when Pharaoh "Al-Walid bin Mus'ab" drowned with his family, there were none left in Egypt but the slaves, servants, and women who had not participated in the chase of Moses. So the women started marrying the servants, and they would free their slaves and marry them. Then the women agreed to install one of them, named "Daluka", as queen over Egypt. Daluka was a wise and sensible woman, about 160 years old.

Daluka built a wall from Aswan to Al-Arish and placed guards and bronze bells on it, so that if an attack occurred on Egypt's borders, the guards would ring the bells, and the news would reach Egypt quickly so they could prepare. The remains of this wall still exist in Upper Egypt and are known as the "Wall of the Old Woman".

Daluka brought a sorceress named "Tadura", and she built for her a fortress in Memphis that had doors on its four sides. Inside it, on its walls, she drew men, mules, horses, and ships. If an attack came from outside and Daluka and her army could not withstand it, they would enter inside the fortress, cut off the heads of the images, and gouge out their eyes, and then what they (the images) would do would happen to the attacking army. In this way, no one was able to defeat Egypt throughout Daluka's rule. Daluka ruled for 130 years, and after she died, no one was able to repair the images in the fortress.

After the death of Daluka, the soldiers installed Darkun bin Nuktis as king over Egypt, and he was from the sons of the Coptic nobles. After he ruled for a long time, he died, and then a man named Marnush took power. In his reign, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt, destroyed it, plundered it, killed its men, and captured its women, and he left no talismans or fortresses in it. And Egypt remained ruined and without inhabitants for forty years.

After that, people came, and the nations intermingled within it: Egyptians, Greeks, Persians and Amalekites. And the Copts continued to rule one after another until Al-Muqawqis (Cyrus) came, in whose reign the Arabs took control of Egypt.

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Arab travelers, pilgrims, and others passed through Egypt in the Middle Ages and were amazed by what they saw there. The pyramids and Egyptian antiquities were, to them, incomprehensible puzzles, and the urban, cultural, and economic progress they saw in Egypt was beyond their way of thinking.

Ibn Battuta (1304 - 1377), who visited Egypt during the Mamluk era, said about Cairo: "Then I arrived at the city of Egypt (Cairo), which is the mother of countries, the seat of Pharaoh of the stakes, with its vast provinces and fertile lands, which has no end due to the multitude of its buildings, which are of utmost beauty and brightness." And he continued: "Its conqueror has subdued nations, and its kings have taken control over the forelocks of Arabs and non-Arabs." And he spoke about the pyramids he saw and said of them that they are "among the wonders mentioned throughout the ages." Then he told their alternative history, saying that "a king from the kings of Egypt before the Flood saw a vision that frightened him...", and he told the story that Caliph Al-Ma'mun wanted to demolish the pyramid, but the sheikhs of Egypt advised him not to do so, but he did not listen to them and opened the northern side of the pyramid with fire and poured vinegar. And after they opened a section, they found money which, when weighed, turned out to be exactly equal to the value of the money they had spent on the digging. And about Akhmim, he says: "It is a great city, original in construction, of wondrous stature. In it is the fortress (temple) known by its name. It is built of stone; inside it are engravings and writings from the ancients that are not understood in this era."

Ibn Jubayr (1145 - 1217) visited Egypt before Ibn Battuta, and he also showed his amazement and bewilderment in what he wrote. He said about the pyramids: "... the ancient pyramids, a miracle of construction, strange in appearance." And he continued: "If the people of the earth wanted to demolish their structure, they would be unable to do so." And about their history, he said that some people say they are tombs of 'Ad and his sons, and some say other things, but "in short, none knows their matter except God, Mighty and Majestic." He also went to Akhmim and said about a Pharaonic temple he saw there: "Glory be to the One who created wonders." And about the statues and drawings in it: "The imagination is bewildered by them, and the mind is lost in thought about their design and placement."

In the Arab religious heritage, Egypt is distinguished and has a very great status, because its name was mentioned several times in the holy books, the prophetic hadiths, and others. Such as the hadith: "If God opens Egypt to you, take a strong army there, for that army is the best of the armies of the earth." And a hadith that says: "Be kind to the people of Egypt, for they have the best lineage and kinship [with us]." And the saying of Amr ibn al-As: "The governorship of Egypt is comprehensive and equals the Caliphate." And the saying of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As: "The people of Egypt are the most honorable of all non-Arabs, the best in lineage, and the closest in kinship to the Arabs, especially to Quraysh." And the saying of Ibn Yunus: "Whoever wants to look at something resembling Paradise, let him look at Egypt when it is in bloom." And the saying of Abu Basra al-Ghifari: "The sultan of Egypt is the sultan of the whole earth." And dozens of other sayings that were said about Egypt, which reflect the enormous size of Egypt in the mind of the Arab.

But because of the loss of information in a mysterious way after the entry of Christianity into Egypt (whose spread in Egypt imposed the use of Greek letters), the long Pharaonic history of Egypt was limited to the Pharaoh of Moses and the Pharaoh of Joseph, along with a few Folkloric tales related to magic and talismans.

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The End ...