Thursday, July 30, 2009

Ebony Shrine of Dier el Bahari: Updated

Discovered in the temple of Deir el Bahari by E. Naville the surviving left side bares inscriptions that credit the shrines creation to Thutmosis II for Thutmosis I, however the nuances of the piece suggest it was actually created on orders of Hatshepsut, this may even be the remains of the ebony shrine created by Thutiy and mentioned in his own tomb inscriptions.

"The good god, Lord of the two lands, lord of offering, lord of diadems, who hath taken the crown of two lands, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Aakheperenre the son of Re, Thutmosis II, he made it as his monument for his father Amen Re, making for him an august shrine of ebony of the best of the highlands, that she might live and abide for him like Re, forever".

James Breasted

1 comment:

Geoff Carter said...

Even in Egypt it is easy to forget how important wood, [ -the best they could get], was in material culture