Divine Egypt is an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While I love Egyptian history, art and artistry, I find the pantheon of Gods and Pharaohs to be overwhelming—and confusing. There are so many characters to consider—both divine and human—and there are variations and permutations which add further complexity to the list of names. The Divine Egypt exhibit was helpful in that the artistic objects were clustered together according to the individual god or goddess—not chronologically, not by kingdom, and not by some other scholarly theme. In this way, I was able to "sort-out" and mentally compartmentalize the abundant beauty presented before me.
At the entrance to the exhibit, we are greeted by a diorite sculpture of the god Amun-Re (c. 1330 BC). This sky god, linked to the Sun, wears a curved, divine beard and his signature feathered crown. Between his knees, the smaller sculpture, the pharaoh Tutankhamun, stands protected by the deity—the god's hands resting on the boy-king's shoulders. Such sculptures insinuated divine endorsement and protection—legitimizing the pharaoh's reign.
This large and unusual face is called a Bes-image. It shows a (very large) dwarf, with a wide face, broad nose and thick eyebrows, which was considered a protective deity—usually created to deter evil and protect believers. This monumental piece may have sat atop a column or other architectural element. It was carved of limestone (c. 330 BC).
This monumental scarab beetle, carved of Quartz Diorite (c. 330 BC), is enormous. Scarab beetles are associated with the divine, daily transit of the Sun across the sky. In real life, dung beetles roll a ball of cow dung to their nesting holes—reminiscent to the Sun being rolled across the sky—which the female uses to lay her eggs. The dung provides the egg with heat and, when it hatches, the dung is an initial source of food for the larva.
In Egyptian cosmology, the red, morning sun is pushed across the sky by the scarab. Each night, the Sun sets and transits though the Underworld—until it is time for its rebirth each morning.
Shown here is another "divine endorsement in limestone": the god Horus shares the throne with King Haremhab. The god also embraces (and legitimizes) Haremhab. Both figures wear the "double crown" which symbolizes the union of Upper Egypt (in the South) and Lower Egypt (in the North). It was carved in limestone around 1300 BC.
Here is the god Horus, again, this time fully in the form of the falcon. He wears the double crown of a united Egypt—enhanced with the "Ureaus," that is, the "rearing cobra" (another symbol of kingship). Horus stands protectively over a miniature representation of King Nectanebo II and the sculpture was carved of "Metagraywacke" around 350 BC.
The lion-headed goddess, shown here, is carved in relief upon a granite block (c. 310 BC). She represents Mehyt, "Lady of Samannud," and wears the Atef crown. The piece likely comes from a Late Roman Era temple dedicated to Mehyt and her consort, Anhur-Shu.
Here we see the "Apis Bull," a manifestation of the god Ptah. He carries a sun disc between his shortened horns—enhanced with the kingly Ureaus (rearing cobra). Most sculpted bovines were portrayed as females (cows), though this version is a bull. In real Ancient Egypt, actual bulls were identified as manifestations of the god (by their special markings). When he would die, he would be mummified and a new bull was selected as the divine representative. This sculpture was carved of Serpentinite (c. 330 BC).
To the Ancient Egyptians, baboons howling at sunrise was associated with their praise for the Sun. Baboons also were associated with Ancient Egyptian theology about the afterlife—perhaps since the baboons "worshipped the Sun," the daily reminder of the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Shown here, a carved baboon, stands on his hind legs with his hands raised (human-like) in worshipful praise. Before him is a pharaoh, perhaps Amenhotep II, Seti I or Seti II. The pharaoh's hands are carefully placed upon his kilt. The granite sculpture was created between 1427 and 1194 BC.
Pharaoh Amenhotep III had a devotion to Sakhmet, the lion goddess whose name means "The Powerful One." He commissioned many such statues of Sakhmet, such as this one, carved in Granodiorite (c. 1390-1352 BC).
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