Throne Of Princess Sitamun
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The Throne of Princess Sitamun is an artefact from the
tomb A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called '' immurement'', alth ...
of
Yuya Yuya (sometimes Iouiya, or Yuaa, also known as Yaa, Ya, Yiya, Yayi, Yu, Yuyu, Yaya, Yiay, Yia, and Yuy) was a powerful ancient Egyptian courtier during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt ( 1390 BC). He was married to Thuya, an Egyptian noblewoman a ...
and
Thuya Thuya (sometimes transliterated as Touiyou, Thuiu, Tuya, Tjuyu or Thuyu) was an Egyptian noblewoman and the mother of queen Tiye, and the wife of Yuya. She is the grandmother of Akhenaten, and great grandmother of Tutankhamun. Biography T ...
, which belonged to their granddaughter, Princess
Sitamun Sitamun, also Sitamen, Satamun; , "daughter of Amun" (c. 1370 BCE–unknown) was an ancient Egyptian princess and queen consort during the 18th Dynasty. Family Sitamun is considered to be the eldest daughter of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and his Great ...
, the daughter of Pharaoh
Amenhotep III Amenhotep III ( , ; "Amun is satisfied"), also known as Amenhotep the Magnificent or Amenhotep the Great and Hellenization, Hellenized as Amenophis III, was the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Eighteenth Dynasty. According to d ...
and Queen
Tiye Tiye (c. 1398 BC – 1338 BC, also spelled Tye, Taia, Tiy and Tiyi) was the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III, mother of pharaoh Akhenaten and grandmother of pharaoh Tutankhamun; her parents were Yuya and Thuya. In 2010 ...
of the
18th Dynasty The Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XVIII, alternatively 18th Dynasty or Dynasty 18) is classified as the first dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the era in which ancient Egypt achieved the peak of its power. The Eighteenth Dynasty ...
.


Description

The wooden throne is an example of the subtlety and elegance of Egyptian woodwork in the
18th Dynasty The Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XVIII, alternatively 18th Dynasty or Dynasty 18) is classified as the first dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the era in which ancient Egypt achieved the peak of its power. The Eighteenth Dynasty ...
. It is made from a common wood covered in parts by a thick
veneer Veneer may refer to: Materials * Masonry veneer, a thin facing layer of brick * Stone veneer, a thin facing layer of stone * Veneer (dentistry), a cosmetic treatment for teeth * Wood veneer, a thin facing layer of wood Arts and entertainment * ' ...
of a less common wood, possibly
walnut A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an i ...
. The veneer is attached by pegs. The legs, of solid walnut, are shaped like the front and rear legs of a lion, complete with four toes and a
dewclaw A dewclaw is a digit – vestigial in some animals – on the foot of many mammals, birds, and reptiles (including some extinct orders, like certain theropods). It commonly grows higher on the leg than the rest of the foot, such that in di ...
on the front feet. These paws sit atop high, ridged, drum bases on which traces of
stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...
,
linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...
, and silver leaf survive. Cross bars which were originally silver-plated strengthen the legs. The ends of these bars are gilt and shaped like stylised
papyrus Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, ''Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'' or ''papyruses'') can a ...
umbel UMBEL (Upper Mapping and Binding Exchange Layer) is a logically organized knowledge graph of 34,000 concepts and entity types that can be used in information science for relating information from disparate sources to one another. It was retired ...
s. A curved support strut under the seat further strengthen the frame. The very well preserved seat is made of fine string threaded through holes in the frame; it is woven in a herringbone pattern and tied underneath. This material was still strong despite its age, as the chair supported the unexpected weight of Empress Eugenie of France, who visited the tomb during its clearance. James Quibell and Joseph Lindon Smith were too embarrassed to tell her to get up. The high back curves around the sitter. It is supported from behind by three vertical struts running in parallel; the two outer struts were supplemented with gilt wood edging. The backrest itself is made of a frame composed of several supports into which the wood making up the back proper is set. As elsewhere it is covered by a veneer, this time carrying gilded decoration; the veneer has split and cracked. The armrests and seat frame were strengthened by gilt wood edging too which continued from the armrests up to the back of the chair. Bronze nails supplement the wooden
mortise and tenon A mortise and tenon (occasionally mortice and tenon) is a Woodworking joints, joint that connects two pieces of wood or other material. Woodworking, Woodworkers around the world have used it for thousands of years to join pieces of wood, mainly ...
joins where the pieces of the backrest meet. The armrests consist of a frame made of four parts and filled in by a panel of wood. The dowels and mortise and tenons are supplemented by four bronze nails on each armrest. Wooden pegs were also used to fill the
knots A knot is a fastening in rope or interwoven lines. Knot or knots may also refer to: Other common meanings * Knot (unit), of speed * Knot (wood), a timber imperfection Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Knots'' (film), a 2004 film * ''Kn ...
present in the wood. At the front of the armrests there are gilt portrait heads. They are perhaps busts of Sitamun herself. As is usual for this period, she wears a short, round, curly wig and a broad
usekh collar As early as the Old Kingdom (c. 2670–2195 B.C.), Egyptian artisans fashioned images of deities, kings, and mortals wearing broad collars made of molded tubular and teardrop beads. The Usekh or Wesekh is a personal ornament, a type of broad Co ...
. The crown, face and collar are all gilt; the wig was once black.


Decoration


Backrest

The backside is covered in silver and decorated with a fine feather pattern, now blackened with age. The sides bear gilt decoration. On the front side there is a gilt plaster relief depicting the winged sun above a scene which centres on the princess. The scene is doubled, showing Sitamun enthroned before a young woman bringing gifts. She is seated in a chair with a high back and lion legs; the low armrests are decorated with a feather pattern. Her feet sit on a footstool or flat cushion. She wears a short curly wig and the typical sidelock of Egyptian royal youth, set off by a large earring. On her head she wears a diadem, tied in the back, featuring a
gazelle A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . There are also seven species included in two further genera; '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third former subgenus, ' ...
at the brow, and is crowned by a modius topped by three tall lotus blooms and buds. She wears a broad
usekh collar As early as the Old Kingdom (c. 2670–2195 B.C.), Egyptian artisans fashioned images of deities, kings, and mortals wearing broad collars made of molded tubular and teardrop beads. The Usekh or Wesekh is a personal ornament, a type of broad Co ...
, as well as bracelets on her arms. She is clothed in a tight-fitting garment of closely pleated linen, stretching down to her ankles. In her hands she holds a
sistrum A sistrum (plural: sistra or (in Latin) sīstra; from the Greek ''seistron'' of the same meaning; literally "that which is being shaken", from ''seiein'', "to shake") is a musical instrument of the percussion family, a form of rattle, used mo ...
and
menat In ancient Egyptian religion, a menat (, ) was a necklace closely associated with the goddess Hathor. Operation The menat was held in the hand by its counterpoise and used as a Rattle (percussion instrument), rattle by Hathor's priestesses. It ...
– typical attributes of princesses and singers in the cult of
Hathor Hathor (, , , Meroitic language, Meroitic: ') was a major ancient Egyptian deities, goddess in ancient Egyptian religion who played a wide variety of roles. As a sky deity, she was the mother or consort of the sky god Horus and the sun god R ...
. Both of the women bearing gifts are identical in appearance and costume, wearing half length wigs with an angular cut, headbands, crowns, bracelets, earrings, and broad collars. They wear tight vests, belts, and long skirts decorated with horizontal bands. They present a wide golden usekh collar to the princess on a tray. The scene is topped by a frieze of lotus blooms. Above the figures an inscription which names Sitamun as "the eldest daughter of the king whom he loves" and the presentation of the collar is captioned "offering gold of the lands of the South." The whole scene is edged by a frame.


Armrests

The inner sides of the armrests continue the scene on the backrest, depicting a procession of four women carrying stacks of gold rings, all crowned with tall headdresses of lotus flowers. Their ornaments and the shape of their long dresses vary from one another, otherwise their appearance mimics that of the servants in the main scene on the back of the chair. The outside of the right armrest shows the goddess
Taweret In Ancient Egyptian religion, Taweret (, also spelled Taurt, Tuat, Tuart, Ta-weret, Tawaret, Twert and Taueret, and in , Thoeris, Taouris and Toeris) is the protective goddess of childbirth and fertility. The name "Taweret" means "she who is grea ...
with two figures of the god Bes. Taweret is depicted in the form of a
hippopotamus The hippopotamus (''Hippopotamus amphibius;'' ; : hippopotamuses), often shortened to hippo (: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Sahar ...
with sagging breasts, a crocodile's back and a lion's paws. All figures have randomly dotted fur. One of the figures of Bes swings two knives, the other plays the
tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, thoug ...
. The left armrest shows Bes three times, again with knives and a tambourine. The gods Taweret and Bes served as defense from evil forces, guaranteeing health and long life. Taweret was a goddess of fertility, pregnancy and birth. Both deities were regularly depicted on beds, headrests and chairs in the 18th dynasty.


Purpose

Given the wear of the gold leaf on the backrest, the moulding of the armrests and the ornamental portrait heads, it is thought that the chair was used on a day-to-day basis. But in addition it was also a piece of ceremonial furniture. The scenes depicting a gift of gold probably refer to the first Nehebkau festival of
Amenhotep III Amenhotep III ( , ; "Amun is satisfied"), also known as Amenhotep the Magnificent or Amenhotep the Great and Hellenization, Hellenized as Amenophis III, was the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Eighteenth Dynasty. According to d ...
.André Wiese, ''Tutanchamun. Das goldene Jenseits'', pp. 196–201. Walter Segal suggested in his examination of the chair that the bronze nails were added only after it became consigned to the tomb.


Bibliography

* Geoffrey Killen. ''Ancient Egyptian furniture / (Vol) I, 4000–1300 BC (Vol) II, Boxes, chests and footstools.'' Aris & Phillips, Warminster 1994., , pp. 51–63. * Marianne Eaton-Krauss. "Walter Segal’s Documentation of CG 51113, the Throne of Princess Sat-Amun." ''The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology.'' 75. 1989, pp. 77–88. * Klaus-Peter Kuhlmann. "Der Thron im alten Ägypten. Untersuchungen zu Semantik, Ikonographie und Symbolik eines Herrschaftszeichens." ''ADAIK.'' 10, 1977, p. 88 with n. 5. * Nicholas Reeves, Richard H. Wilkinson. ''The Complete Valley of the Kings. Tombs and Treasures of Egypt's Greatest Pharaohs.'' Thames & Hudson, 1996, , p. 178. * Dan Svarth. ''Egyptisk møbelkunst fra faraotiden.'' Skippershoved, Skårup 1998, , pp. 64–85. * André Wiese, Andreas Brodbeck, Andreas F. Voegelin, Andrea Maria Gnirs. ''Tutanchamun – Das goldene Jenseits. Grabschätze aus dem Tal der Könige.'' Hirmer, München 2004, , pp. 196–201.


References

{{reflist Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt Egyptian Museum Art of ancient Egypt Archaeological discoveries in Egypt Individual thrones