This is my favorite wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 model that I have seen in any museum!
This wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 model boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 is from the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of a man named 𓂋𓈖 Ukhhotep 𓋂𓊵𓏏𓊪. Ukhotep 𓋂𓊵𓏏𓊪 was the chief treasurer 𓋨𓅱, which is why he probably received such gorgeous 𓄤 funerary equipment 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭.
This is one of two 𓏻 funerary boats that were found in his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 – most Middle Kingdom tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 that had wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models always contained two 𓏻 boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦. In the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐, one boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 was oriented to the north 𓎔𓏏 and the other towards the south 𓇔𓅱𓏏.
During the actual funeral, the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 would take one last journey across the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺. Models of boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦 (usually funerary boats), were usually found in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 as a way to symbolically bring the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 into the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.
I really love this model because of the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 that you can see underneath the canopy! As a kid I always loved that! The canopy also has a leopard 𓍋𓃀𓇌𓃮 skin on the top, and the details on the leopard 𓍋𓃀𓇌𓃮 are just gorgeous!
The mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 is accompanied by two 𓏻 women 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐𓏪 mourners – they are probably meant to represent Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇. There is also a priest 𓊹𓍛 (dressed in the leopard 𓍋𓃀𓇌𓃮 skin) who holds a scroll 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 with a funerary offering 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 on it. There is a second priest 𓊹𓍛, also dressed in leopard 𓍋𓃀𓇌𓃮 skin with his arm 𓂝𓏺 extended outward in a mourning gesture.
Wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models were very popular amongst Middle Kingdom tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦. This particular boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 is dated to the 12th Dynasty (c. 1981–1802 B.C.E.)
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
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