PHARAOH
The signs that identify the pharaoh are multiple. Like any king, Pharaoh is recognized by her royal crown, or rather his crowns as they are numerous. We know of the crowns of the Pharaoh by their performances, no crown was never found.
We have already seen on the palette of Narmer the pharaoh can wear two different crowns:
- The white crown of Upper Egypt called "Hedjet" symbolizes the authority of the pharaoh over Upper Egypt
- The red crown of Lower Egypt called "deshret" symbolizes the authority of Pharaoh on Lower Egypt
The crown of Lower Egypt would be copper and that of Lower Egypt was to be conducted in a more flexible material, leather.
The red crown of Lower Egypt ( "deshret")
Mentouhopet Nebhepetre - XIth dynasty
When Pharaoh represents the royal authority on the unified Egypt, it meets the two crowns in the same cap (double-ring): the "sekhemty" which means "the two powers" (pschent in Greek).
The god Horus, first pharaoh according to mythology, wears the Double Crown (pschent)
- The "khepresh" is a crown royal blue with circular inlays, this is undoubtedly the advent crown of the pharaoh. It has often given him a warrior meaning, it symbolizes the pharaoh's triumph over his enemies. It's the only crown that is exclusively associated with the pharaoh, the gods do not carry.
The analysis of a crown fragment khepresh blue, preserved in Oxford, found that the blue glass covering the crown was made of a mixture of manganese, iron, cobalt and copper. It is not known what material were made actual crowns because we do not regained. The circular pattern could be depressions stylized leather of an animal or simply decorative patterns.
The khepresh: Blue Crown (the uraeus disappeared here)
Akhenaton - Eighteen Dynasty
The khepresh with the uraeus
Amenhotep III - Eighteen Dynasty
- The nemes is a cap that is originally composed of a striped fabric color of gold and lapis lazuli, serving hide wig. It may evoke the creative sunlight framing the royal face. The nemes, held by a headband, falls into two sections on each side of the head and ends at the rear by a braid that hangs in the back. The Pyramid Texts refer the nemes as a symbol of the vulture goddess Nekhbet (the panels flanking the king's face represent the protective wings of the goddess).
The Nemes headdress with the cobra and vulture
Tutankhamun - XVIII dynasty
The nemes
with the uraeus
Thutmose III - Eighteen Dynasty
The nemes Tutankhamun seen from behind
The Sphinx of Giza (pharaoh image) nemes with
It is not here a crown but a wig that Pharaoh door in scenes where it is in contact with the gods or when it is represented deified after his death or when hunting in the thickets of papyrus. This short wig is called "IBES" it is closed and sometimes cover the ears. It is surrounded headband "seched" which is in reality a piece of jewelry in gold or silver. Headband, hang two side straps terminated uraeus. The frontal uraeus and beard hairpiece right formally certify a pharaoh. This is Pharaoh Mentuhotep I.
Relief fragment from Deir el-Bahari - XIth Dynasty - Limestone: 36 cm x33 cm. Edinburgh Museum.
Tutankhamun and his wife are here particularly elaborate crowns, that of the king is composed of many solar discs and uraei.
Detail of the throne of Tutankhamun
* When the cobra feels threatened, it expands its cervical region and stretches the skin of her neck to spit its venom. Often beside the cobra, stands the vulture, the symbol of Upper Egypt.
white crown of Upper Egypt red crown of Lower Egypt double crown (pschent) nemes
duck-shaped wig
