1/2/2023 0 Comments Who is pharaohIn place of a hefty crown, for everyday wear he probably wore a diadem consisting of a simple gold or silver band wrapped around his head, with a uraeus (a rearing cobra) at the front.ĭressed, his eye-makeup applied, and sweet-smelling unguents rubbed onto his skin, the king would now set off for his breakfast, taken in a part of the palace called the Mansion of Life. For more formal or ritual occasions, however, the king might wear elaborately woven garments, displaying mythical animals, plants, and cartouches. Unless he was attending a formal or ritual event, the king’s daily dress appeared much like that of his high courtiers – simple linen bag tunics, some with the odd tapestry-woven decorative flourish, sandals, and perhaps a sash around the waist. Unless he was attending a formal or ritual event, the king’s daily dress appeared much like that of his high courtiers – simple linen bag tunics. ![]() Linen garment from a tomb at Thebes, Egypt. Various staff members were then summoned to aid the king: the handlers of royal linen, the handlers of crowns and headdresses, and even the director of royal loincloths in this confined space at the back of the palace, a vast army assembled to prepare the king for his daily duties. There he was met by the Chief of Secrets of the House of the Morning, a man charged with ensuring that the king’s washing and rising rituals went according to custom. At the Palace of the King at Malkata on Luxor’s West Bank, Amenhotep III would wander from his bed chamber through to his robing room, its ceiling decorated with images of cow heads, staring down from between swirling coils surrounded by rosettes. Having survived another night without incident, the king would rise from his bed to begin his daily activities. THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, Fletcher Fund, 1919, 1920 New Kingdom (reign of Thutmosis III) mirror with handle in the form of a Hathor emblem, Disk: silver handle: wood (modern) sheathed in gold (ancient) He was also shielded from physical forms of violence – throughout the night, his bodyguard stood watch at his doorway, keeping an eye out for any would-be assassins. In this magically secure space, the Pharaoh could be sure he’d get a good night’s rest, free from the anxiety of unprovoked demonic attack no evil forces could penetrate such a potent force field. Turning to his side, his head supported by a headrest decorated with carved images of Bes, a god who repelled evil forces, he saw further images of Bes painted on the nearby wall, above ankh signs of life and tyt knots of protection. ![]() When Amenhotep III awoke each morning, he opened his eyes to the sight of the protective goddess Nekhbet painted on the ceiling above him. The Pharaoh, despite being the embodiment of divine royal authority, was not exempt from such night terrors and required protection. ![]() Asleep, you awoke in a liminal zone, a place where the living, the dead, and the gods could observe and sometimes interact with one another – and not always in a pleasant way at the same time your physical self lay vulnerable to malevolent forces that might try to enter your bedroom and attack your unconscious body. Sleep was a dangerous time for the ancient Egyptians. SANDRO VANINI © THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM IN CAIRO Waking up on a comfortable wooden bed with lion legs.
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