Thursday, May 7, 2015
Hathor Spoon with Tyet and Djed
6:25am


Cosmetic Spoon with Hathor head
Burial of Queen Mentuhotep, Dyn. 17
Thebes-West (Dra Abu el-Naga)
Neues Museum, Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, Berlin ÄM 1178


I created my tracing referencing this fine photo by Lucy Huntzinger.

This piece is so fascinating because it's combining various symbols. We see the Tyet amulet's "arms", and the "spine" (connoting stability) of the Djed pillar:

  
Tyet drawn by me, Djed from _Reading Egyptian Art_, Wilkinson

I've seen various guesses at the meaning of the Tyet. Often associated with the goddess Isis (Aset), it suggests protection and health.

An example of a Tyet at the Brooklyn museum:

37.1272E, photo © Brooklyn museum

The striations delineating the Djed spine remind me of those on one in Nefertari's tomb. I did a drawing based on that Djed:

I found another example of a cosmetic spoon featuring Hathor. The museum record currently lacks an image, but this one found via Pinterest probably is a museum photo, however small and hard to read:


I love all the subtleties of Hathor's imagery. I'll keep looking for these cosmetic spoons.

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