Gold (hieroglyph)
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Gold in hieroglyphs |
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The ancient Egyptian Gold hieroglyph is a member of the crowns, dress, staves hieroglyphs. Its major importance is as one of the Fivefold Titulary names of the Egyptian pharaoh, the Horus of Gold name.
The gold hieroglyph is used as a determinative in the names of precious metals,[1] and as an ideogram in nbw, "gold".[2] The hieroglyph is an Egyptian language biliteral with the value of nb.
The hieroglyph is a large gold and pearl necklace.[3] Old Kingdom scenes show dwarfs metalworking the gold,[4] and "stringing the pearls of gold".[5]
Iconographic usage
Horus-of-Gold name
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The meaning of this particular title has been disputed. One belief is that it represents the triumph of Horus over his uncle Seth, as the symbol for gold can be taken to mean that Horus was "superior to his foes". Gold also was strongly associated in the ancient Egyptian mind with eternity, so this may have been intended to convey the pharaoh's eternal Horus name.
Similar to the Fivefold Titulary Nebty name, this particular name typically was not framed by a cartouche or serekh. It always begins with the depiction of the horus falcon perched above a representation of the sun-(hieroglyph).
Late Period usage by Nectanebo II, etc.
One of the few coins minted for ancient Egypt is the gold stater for Nectanebo II, reign 360 to 343 BC, 30th dynasty. The reverse of the gold stater shows a horse reared up on its hind legs. The obverse has the two hieroglyphs for nfr and nb: "Perfect gold", or a common-era term: 'Fine'-gold.
Example words
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"Metal Gold"[6] with Melted-Nugget determinative and Plural in hieroglyphs |
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Variant forms
Three variants of the gold hieroglyph are ligatured with another hieroglyph:[8]
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Preceded by
Nu, water abyss nu |
gold (nub)-nb-(bil.) |
Succeeded by
basket-"everything" nb-(bil.) | ||||||
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Goddess Nephthys upon the Gold hieroglyph, sarcophagus of Ramesses III
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Book of the Dead detail, goddesses on gold, with djed pillar, ankh, Ra, and baboons
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Collar of gold (hieroglyph). |
- Fivefold Titulary
- Gardiner's Sign List#S. Crowns, Dress, Staves, etc
References
- ↑ Betrò, 1994, Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt, p. 176.
- ↑ Betrò, 1994, p. 176.
- ↑ Schumann-Antelme, Illustrated Hieroglyphics Handbook, p. 166.
- ↑ Betrò, 1994, p. 176.
- ↑ Betrò, 1994, p. 176.
- ↑ Schumann-Antelme, p. 166-167.
- ↑ Schumann-Antelme, p. 166-167.
- ↑ Betrò, 1994, Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt, p. 176.
- ↑ Budge, The Rosetta Stone, p. 142, 147, 151.
- ↑ Budge, p. 147-148.
- ↑ Budge, p. 151.
- Betrò, Maria Carmela. Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt, c. 1995, 1996-(English), Abbeville Press Publishers, New York, London, Paris (hardcover, ISBN 0-7892-0232-8)
- Budge, The Rosetta Stone, E.A.Wallace Budge, (Dover Publications), c 1929, Dover edition(unabridged), 1989. (softcover, ISBN 0-486-26163-8)
- Schumann-Antelme, and Rossini, 1998. Illustrated Hieroglyphics Handbook, Ruth Schumann-Antelme, and Stéphane Rossini. c 1998, English trans. 2002, Sterling Publishing Co. (Index, Summary lists (tables), selected uniliterals, biliterals, and triliterals.) (softcover, ISBN 1-4027-0025-3)