#hatnefer

[tridentandtales]

Two Egyptian rings of Hatnefer, depicting a scorpion and cowrie shells

New Kingdom, 18th dynasty, ca. 1492–1473 BCE

Metropolitan Museum of Art 36.3.3, 36.3.4

[andreeebarros]

Heart Scarab of Hatnefer, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, ca. 1492-1473 BCE

[tridentandtales]

Heart scarab of Hatnefer, 18. Dynasty

The heart scarab, depicting chapter 30A from the Book of the Dead, was found in Hatnefer's grave. The owner of the amulet (Hatnefer) pleaded with her hearts not to betray them during the weighing of the heart ceremony.

The interesting part about this amulet is that its function goes far beyond simply depicting the chapter. First of all, the gold serves as a connection to the gods, whose skin is believed to be made out of gold, as a sign of their immortality. By using gold in the funerary context, the Egyptians believed that immortality would affect them as well. The same goes for the green stone, which stood for youth and resurrection.

The form - a scarab is a nod to the sun god Khepri, who again symbolizes the rising sun and rebirth. But it's also a wordplay, as the word for beatle (ḥpr) and the word for shape / form (ḥprw) sound similar, an indication that the amulet is supposed to enable the dead to change form.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art 36.3.2

[boneandpapyrus]

Ring with inscribed scorpion, found on the little finger of Hatnefer, an elderly woman who was head of a household (article)

Thebes, Upper Egypt,  ca. 1492–1473 B.C. (Dynasty 18) 

Metropolitan Museum

[gemma-antiqua]

Heart Scarab of Hatnefer from the reign of Thutmose II, ca. 1492–1473 B.C. Found in the Tomb of Hatnefer and Ramose. From the Met.

Heart Scarab Text: The Mistress of the House, Hatnefer, says: "Heart of my mother, heart of my mother, heart of my (actual) being, do not rise up against me as a witness; do not contend against me in the court of judgment; do not make opposition against me in the presence of the keeper of the balance. You are my bodily ka, a Khnum who has invigorated my limbs. When you ascend to the perfection from which we have come, do not cause our names to stink to the entourage who create mankind in their proper stations, but rather may it go well with us and with the listener, so that the judge may rejoice. Do not devise lies against me in the presence of the god, for your reckoning is at hand." (translation by Peter F. Dorman)

[theancientwayoflife]

~Hatnefer’s Chair. Period: New Kingdom Dynasty: Dynasty 18, early Reign: reign of Thutmose II–Early Joint reign Date: ca. 1492–1473 B.C.

[tiny-librarian]

In 1936, the Museum's Egyptian expedition discovered a rock-cut tomb on a hillside just below the offering chapel of Senenmut, one of Hatshepsut's best known officials. The tomb had been prepared for the burial of Senenmut's mother, Hatnefer, who had died in her 70s, early in the joint reign of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III. By this time, Senenmut had become a great official, and could provide a comparatively rich burial for his mother, including this gilded mummy mask and an exquisite heart scarab . She was also buried with several pieces of fine personal jewelry

Source

[sporadicq]

Heart Scarab of Hatnefer, serpentine and gold, Egypt, New Kingdom, ca. 1492–1473 B.C. Found in Egypt, Upper Egypt; Thebes, Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, Tomb of Hatnefer and Ramose (TT 71), Mummy of Hatnefer, MMA 1935–1936

Hatnefer's heart scarab is an exceptionally fine example of this type of funerary equipment and is comparable to those made for contemporary royalty. It was certainly a royal gift. Every feature of the scarab beetle is carefully rendered. The exquisite chain is made of gold wire, plaited in a quadruple-link pattern. The scarab's base is engraved with a version of Book of the Dead (chapter 30A), in which the deceased addresses her own heart, exhorting it not to bear witness against Hatnefer's spirit (ka) in the final judgment in the afterlife. Hatnofer's name was inserted over an erased text, indicating that the scarab was not made for her.