صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

that of Ra-men-ka (Mencheres); 3923-25, that of Pepi (Apappus); 3927, Osortasen I., or Sesortasen I. :—the cylinders, 3928, with the prænomen of Sesortasen II.; 3926, Sesortasen III.; 3930, with the prænomen of Amenemha III.; 3933, with the prænomen of Neferhept; 3934, with the name of Sebekhept, son of the Queen Ki; 3937, with the prænomen of Amenophis I.; 4068, with the names and titles of Amenophis II. :—4077, a rectangular amulet of yellow jasper, having on one side a bull, on the other a horse, of exquisite workmanship, with the name and titles of Amenophis II., half of which was presented by M. J. Dubois :-4095, a large scarabæus, recording the number of lions taken by Amenophis III. (Memnon) from the first to the tenth year of his reign :-4096, a scarabæus, recording the marriage of Amenophis III. and his Queen Taia, and that the limits of Egypt extended to Naharaina (Mesopotamia) on the north, and to the Kalu on the south :-4101-10, bearing the names of Rameses II. :4111-12, of Rameses III. :-4113, of a late Rameses :-4114, of Shishak I. :-4119, of Amasis II. All these scarabæi are completely carved, and most of them have rings or perforations under the body.

:

Case 100 contains Scarabæi, generally inscribed with a prayer or formula, being the 30th chapter of the Ritual relative to the Heart or Soul, being an emblem of the mystical transformations which the deceased had to undergo in Hades before he had a heart given to him. The inscribed ones are found between the folds of the interior bandages, and on the chests of the mummies. The inscription is on the base, but the names and titles of the deceased, figures of deities, &c., are found on the elytra and corslet. From the difference observable in the elytra, different species of the insect are probably intended to be represented. Among these is a small green jasper scarabæus, No. 7875, set in a semi-oval plinth of gold, said to have been found in the coffin of King Nentef (vide Case 70, 2), but bearing the name of the King Savak-emsaf. Several of the Scarabaei in this case bear the names of different functionaries; 'one has a heart-shaped vein, on which is engraven a bennou, or the bird nycticorax, and at its sides an inscription expressing " in the heart of the Sun."

Case 101 contains a number of uninscribed scarabæi, and amulets in the form of a vase, human heart, two fingers of the hand, &c. There are also fragments embossed with figures of Osorkon I. and II., kings of the Twenty-second Dynasty, making an offering to Amen-ra Harsaphes. These objects have for the most part been taken from the straps which are fastened round the necks of mum

mies. There are also amulets representing symbolical eyes, hearts, plumes of Divinities, lotus-sceptres, symbols of stability and life, pillows, counterpoises of collars, levels, solar disks or hills, and victims with their legs bound.

3. Rings, Necklaces, Bracelets, &c.

Of these ornaments there is a great number and variety in Cases 81, 82. Many of the rings are curious, from the fact that they have a break in the circumference. There can be no doubt that they have been used as objects of attire, but their precise use is not known. Some of the finger-rings are very elegant, and have beautiful open work, with figures of Deities, &c.; on the faces of several are the prænomen of Amenophis III., the names of Amentuonk, Amen-ra, &c., and one of gold, of the Ptolemaic or Roman times, with Serapis, Isis, and Horus. There are also some well-shaped ear-rings and pendants from ear-rings. In Case 82 are necklaces, bracelets, pendant ornaments, beads, &c. One necklace has pendants in the shape of the lock of Horus, fish, and cowries, with a cowrie-shaped clasp another has flat beads, representing Deities; a third, blue spherical beads, capped with silver. Among the pendants are an Ægis of Pasht, a Soul, and the shell of the Indina Nilotica. Case 83 contains various specimens of Egyptian glass, some of which are curious.

4. Miscellaneous Ornaments from Mummies.

These are contained chiefly in Cases 87-89 and 102. Case 87 contains pectoral plates, many of them in the shape of a propylon, with a Scarabæus ascending in a boat, adored on each side by Isis and Nephthys. Many of these plates bear the names of the persons to whom they have belonged; others have the head of Athor, a Scarabæus, with vitrified eyes, Deities, &c. They are in various materials, as basalt, arragonite, porcelain, vitrified earth, &c. Cases 88, 89 contain portions from the network covering of mummies, consisting of scarabæi, wings, bugles, beads, &c., crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, symbolical eyes, sceptres, terminating in a head of lotus flowers, beads, &c. Case 102 has many ornaments, taken from the bodies of mummies :—of these, one, which is rather remarkable, has stamped upon it the figure of Osiris Pethem pamentes; another, the names of two early Kings. There are also plates taken from the side incision of mummies, representing the Mystical Eye; a plate with the names of Seneferka and Kaenra, two early Kings; vultures,

uræi, hearts, emblems of stability, and various other stamped ornaments, all taken from mummies.

Next to the mummies of human beings come the mummies of animals, which were very common in ancient Egypt, and have been found by modern travellers in great abundance. They are to be found in this room, chiefly in Cases 52-58 and 60.

There are a considerable variety of these mummied animals, as cynocephali or dog-headed baboons, cats, bulls, rams, the ibis, crocodiles, snakes, &c.

Cases 52, 53 contain specimens of mummies of cynocephali or dog-headed baboons, animals which were sacred to Ioh-Thoth and Khons-ioh, and which were chiefly worshipped at Hermopolis, mummies of jackals, or dogs with long upright ears, the emblems of Anubis, the head of a dog enveloped in bandages, and a similar head unrolled. Div. 3 contains various mummies of cats, the males of which animals were considered to be emblems of the sun, and the females of Pasht, or Bubastis, the lion or cat-headed Deity. At Abouseir there are pits full of mummies of this animal, from which place many of the specimens in this case have been procured. There is also a wooden case, in the shape of a cat, seated on a pedestal, some specimens of cat-mummies which have been unrolled, several figures of cats which have been used as emblems of Pasht, and a pedestal of a cat, in the shape of the hieroglyphical name, Bast.

Cases 54, 55 contain mummies of bulls, consisting of the head and some of the principal bones, and having on the forehead the triangular mark of Apis, to whom all cattle were sacred :—of gazelles, which were considered impure animals, and the emblems of Typhon and the Typhonian divinities:-of a small ram, which was sacred to Amen-ra, and of which only the head and some of the bones are preserved:-heads of rams, some unrolled and some in bandages :—and the head of a sheep.

Cases 56, 57 contain mummies of the sacred Ibis, with various bones and eggs of the same bird, and several conical pots, with their covers, in which are preserved similar mummies. Many of these objects were presented to the National Collection by Sir J. G. Wilkinson.

Case 58 contains mummies of crocodiles, the emblems of Sevek, or Sabak, one of which has been unrolled :-mummies of snakes, or siluri, the emblems of Isis, some in the shape of cakes, with meander patterns, and some simply oval cakes:—a rectangular case, with a lizard at the top, and two small rings, with which was found the

skeleton of a small snake, which lies near it :-a rectangular case, with a hawk-headed uræus snake at the top, which has once held some animal mummy.

Case 60 contains several mummies of snakes, bandaged up in the form of oval cakes, like those in the preceding cases, together with the mummies of different fish, some bandaged and some unrolled.

Having now given a separate description of those portions of the large collection of Egyptian objects contained in this room which we consider to be of the most importance, and to require the fullest notice, we shall proceed to take the remaining objects in the order in which they are at present arranged in the cases, considering that on the whole this method will be more convenient to those who may make use of this hand-book, than if we were to attempt a scientific classification of the different subjects. We may premise that the contents of the cases comprise generally small statues, objects of household furniture, portions of the dress and objects of the toilet of the ancient people, vases, lamps, agricultural implements, weapons, inscriptions, instruments of writing and painting, boxes, baskets, musical instruments, and objects relating to weaving. Of these we shall notice a few of the most remarkable.

Cases 12, 13 contain numerous specimens of small statues and fragments in bronze, stone, and wood. Of these we may notice a small statue of Phtahmai, a bard and Royal scribe of the tables of all the gods, kneeling and holding a tablet with the prenomen of Rameses II. (Sesostris) and various emblems :-a priest kneeling, holding in his hand a bowl on which are five cakes of bread :—an altar of libation, with vases and cakes, at each corner of which, in front, is a hawk, and behind, two cynocephali, having on their heads the disk of the moon, with a small figure kneeling between them: a frog with a hole between his legs serves for a spout :-Seveknasht, the son of Eiaô, walking, having in each hand a cylindrical roll, and on his head the claft, with his name inscribed on his right foot:-a male figure walking, with a conical cap, disk, and horns on his head, and a long sash which descends from the apex of the cap to the feet:—a female walking, holding a calf, slung round her neck by its four feet, and holding in her right hand an oryx or gazelle by the horns :—a female, lying on a couch in a long close tunic, with her head on a head-rest, and a child placed transversely under her legs :-hands and arms carved on one side only for inlaying :—fragments of legs and arms, from figures inscribed with the names and

titles of Amenophis I. and III., Rameses II. and IX., from the temple of Athor, at Sarabout al Khadem, in the peninsula of Mount Sinai.

Cases 14-19 contain numerous articles of household furniture, with other large objects, such as stools and chairs of various kinds, one with four legs moving on a bronze pivot, and terminating in the head of a goose inlaid with ivory, the seat having been of maroon-coloured leather :-a high-backed chair on lion-footed legs, the back inlaid with darker coloured wood and ivory, the seat of cord :-legs and feet from chairs :-uls or uols, rests for the head, the legs of one of them placed crosswise:-a cushion stuffed with the feathers of water-fowl :-fragments from the propylon of the brick Pyramid of Dashour, one of which contains part of a royal cartouche :—a cramp, bearing on it the name of Seti-Menephthah I. (Sethos I.), B.C. 1604-1579:-keys and hinges :-the capital of a column with lotus flowers :-small tiles, part of the inlaying of a door in a pyramid at Sakhara, in dark blue porcelain : :-a model of a house, square at the base, and slightly converging towards the top, in calcareous stone :-a model of a granary and yard; at the end of the roof is a covered shed, in which a man is seated; in the yard is a female making bread, and on one side of the kneading trough is an inscription in the hieratic character:-a wig of human hair, from the upper part of which, which is curled, depend long and tightly-plaited locks. Wigs of this description appear on the heads of the female musicians in the fresco paintings of this collection, and on other persons of high rank:-the basket in which the wig was contained, the sides of which are of the kash or writing reed, and the frame-work of sticks bound together by papyrus :-a threelegged stand or table, on which is painted the uræus coiled upon the basket, and other objects, with a dedication to Paihri or Phaihroupi :—and a number of portions of the following deities, Pasht, Num or Cnouphis, Horus, Thoth, Isis or Nephthys, Amset, Hapi, Kebhsnauf, and Sioutmautf.

Cases 20, 21 contain various objects relating to dress and the toilet, as pieces of net-work :—a workman's apron :-an Egyptian sleeveless tunic:-a basket in which this tunic was found :-cases with four cylindrical holes to hold sthem or stibium, a metallic colour for staining, one ofthem bearing the name and titles of Amenones, a Royal scribe: -a cylindrical reed-case for stibium, bearing the name in front of the King Amentuankh, and his wife Anchsen-amen :— a case for stibium, representing a monkey standing erect, grasping in both hands a cylinder, with its cover of wood :—other vessels for the

« السابقةمتابعة »