Nemes () consisted of pieces of striped head cloth worn by
pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...
s in
ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
. It covered the whole
crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...
and behind of the head and nape of the neck (sometimes also extending a little way down the back) and had
lappets, two large flaps which hung down behind the ears and in front of both shoulders. It was sometimes combined with the
double crown, as it is on the statues of
Ramesses II
Ramesses II (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses) (; , , ; ), commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was an Pharaoh, Egyptian pharaoh. He was the third ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Nineteenth Dynasty. Along with Thutmose III of th ...
at
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel is a historic site comprising two massive Rock-cut architecture, rock-cut Egyptian temple, temples in the village of Abu Simbel (village), Abu Simbel (), Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt, near the border with Sudan. It is located on t ...
. The earliest depiction of the nemes, along with a
uraeus, is the
ivory label of
Den from the
1st Dynasty. It is not a crown in itself, but still symbolizes the pharaoh's power.
Modern Recreations
The occult society "
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn" used headwear similar to ancient Egyptian nemes, which they spelled "nemyss", as part of their "traditional ceremonial garb".
Gallery
Pharaoh.svg, modern drawing of a pharaoh with a nemes
Upper part of portrait statuette of Amenemhat III wearing the nemes 01.jpg, Upper part of portrait statuette of pharaoh Amenemhat III
:''See Amenemhat, for other individuals with this name.''
Amenemhat III (Ancient Egyptian: ''Ỉmn-m-hꜣt'' meaning 'Amun is at the forefront'), also known as Amenemhet III, was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the sixth king of the Twelfth Dyn ...
, wearing a nemes,
Upper part of portrait statuette of Amenemhat III wearing the nemes 03.jpg, The back and upper part of portrait statuette of pharaoh Amenemhat III, wearing a nemes,
Amenhotep II Uraeus.jpg, Amenhotep II wearing a nemes, KV35
Tomb KV35 is the burial place of Amenhotep II, a pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. Later, it was used as a cache for other royal mummies. It was discovered by Victor Loret in March 1898.
L ...
, Valley of the Kings
CairoEgMuseumTaaMaskMostlyPhotographed.jpg, The golden mask from the mummy of Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun or Tutankhamen, (; ), was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the late Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Eighteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt. Born Tutankhaten, he instituted the restoration of the traditional polytheistic form of an ...
wearing the nemes,
Akenatón Louvre. 02.JPG, Profile of a statuette of Akhenaten
Akhenaten (pronounced ), also spelled Akhenaton or Echnaton ( ''ʾŪḫə-nə-yātəy'', , meaning 'Effective for the Aten'), was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh reigning or 1351–1334 BC, the tenth ruler of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Eig ...
wearing a nemes,
KhonsuTemple-Karnak-RamessesIII-2.jpg, Relief from the Sanctuary of Khonsu Temple depicting Rameses III wearing a nemes
Ramesses IV-N 438-IMG 8065-gradient.jpg, Ushabti of Ramses IV with a nemes,
S F-E-CAMERON EGYPT 2006 FEB 00671.JPG, Statue at Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel is a historic site comprising two massive Rock-cut architecture, rock-cut Egyptian temple, temples in the village of Abu Simbel (village), Abu Simbel (), Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt, near the border with Sudan. It is located on t ...
of Ramesses II
Ramesses II (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses) (; , , ; ), commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was an Pharaoh, Egyptian pharaoh. He was the third ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Nineteenth Dynasty. Along with Thutmose III of th ...
wearing the pschent
The pschent (/pskʰént/; Ancient Greek, Greek ''wikt:ψχέντ, ψχέντ'') was the double Crown (headgear), crown worn by rulers in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians generally referred to it as Pa-sekhemty (''pꜣ-sḫm.ty''), the Two Powe ...
atop a nemes
Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst 008.jpg, Miniature metal nemes
Emperador romano como faraón (26519131170).jpg, CE 1st-century Roman emperor as pharaoh (Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
)
Upper part of an Egyptian statue of Caracalla as a pharaoh, Alexandria National Museum, Egypt.jpg, Caracalla
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname Caracalla (; ), was Roman emperor from 198 to 217 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then r ...
() as pharaoh ( Alexandria National Museum)
Yul Brynner in The Ten Commandments film trailer.jpg, Yul Brynner
Yuliy Borisovich Briner (; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner (), was a Russian-born actor. He was known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical ''The King and I'' (19 ...
wearing a nemes as Ramesses II
Ramesses II (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses) (; , , ; ), commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was an Pharaoh, Egyptian pharaoh. He was the third ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Nineteenth Dynasty. Along with Thutmose III of th ...
in '' The Ten Commandments''
Further reading
* Toby A. H. Wilkinson, ''Early Dynastic Egypt'', Routledge 1999
* Bruce Graham Trigger, ''Ancient Egypt: A Social History'',
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...
1983
Fragment of a basalt Egyptian-style statue of Ptolemy I
References
External links
*
Crowns (headgear)
Headgear
Egyptian artefact types
{{fashion-stub