Museum of Fine Arts, Boston ‘Satan Watching the Caresses of Adam and Eve’; watercolour by William Blake for John Milton’s Paradise Lost, 1808
During one of my workdays, I had a guest in my car – an intelligent woman who left a lasting impression on me with her profound awareness. We delved into a conversation about various topics such as God, the world, and eventually, my birthland, Iran. I shared my views on equality between men and women. Then I dared to discuss Femininity, Anima, Animus, and Dr Jung’s idea of their existence, which are present in every human. She listened attentively, found my words intriguing, and even agreed somewhat. However, she expressed her preference for being a “pure woman” and did not desire to have any masculine traits in herself!
I believe the current wave of feminism is a form of emancipation fueled by frustration toward men. This frustration stems from the fact that men have dominated the world’s history. However, I wanted to discuss this further to convince her to understand my perspective. Unfortunately, we arrived at her destination before we finished, and she got out of the car and left.
I have gathered here some words and quotes on femininity, body and soul, which I believe has very little to do with gender (as Marion Woodman says so well), and we might need a vested development to comprehend it.
The Body and The Soul
The Garden of Love – William Blake I went to the Garden of Love and saw what I had never seen: A Chapel was built in the midst, Where I used to play on the green. And the gates of this Chapel were shut, and “Thou shalt not” writ over the door; So I turned to the Garden of Love that so many sweet flowers bore; and I saw it was filled with graves, and tomb-stones where flowers should be; and Priests in black gowns were walking their rounds, And binding with briars my joys & desires. “Do what you will; this world’s a fiction and is made up of contradiction.” William Blake (UK 1757-1827) Infant Joy – Infant Sorrow – by William Blake
Ascension by William Blake
William and Marion
“William Blake says the body is ‘that portion of soul discerned by the five senses’ I live with that idea. I sit and look out my window here in Canada, and the autumn trees are golden against the blue sky. I can feel their “food” coming into my eyes and going down, down, down, interacting inside, and I fill up with gold. My soul is fed. I see, I smell, I taste, I hear, I touch. Through the orifices of my body, I give, and I receive. I am not trying to capture what is absent. It’s that interchange between the embodied soul and the outside world that is the dynamic process. That’s how growth takes place. That is life.”
~Marion Woodman, Conscious Femininity, P. 44-45
The Worship of the Serpent: The Awakening of Eve and the Generation of Nature The Symbol of the Serpent
It shows you how to accomplish this by getting to know your body, bringing your body and your dreams together, and uniting body and soul. Marion Woodman, author of Dancing in the Flames
This issue might have a long way to go, and as I am involved in something more primitive like the situation in Iran, I can see those women who are beyond all boundaries and fighting for their rights; I discern light at the end of the tunnel! Thank you all for your interest. Have a lovely weekend, everybody.🙏💖🥰
The tomb of Amenemope, the third prophet of Amun 20th Dynasty, during the reign of Ramesses III, IV and V. TT 148, the brothers and sisters of Amenemope
Usermaatre Amenemope was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 21st Dynasty who ruled between 1001–992 BC or 993–984 BC. Amenemope wrote The Instruction of Amenemope during ancient Egypt’s late New Kingdom period. The text contains practical maxims and admonitions for leading a good life, similar to other wisdom literature. It’s been noted that Amenemope’s work shares similarities with the Hebrew Book of Proverbs in structure and content, but the nature of their relationship is debated.
The Theban Tomb of Roy in Dra’ Abu el-Naga features a wall painting of Roy and his wife Nebtawy. The tomb is located on the west bank of the Nile across from Luxor and is part of the Theban Necropolis. Roy was an Ancient Egyptian official and Royal Scribe in the Estates of Horemheb and of Amun.
Amenemope tomb is notable for being one of only two entirely intact royal burials known from ancient Egypt; the other is that of Psusennes I. However, only the metal objects from the tomb survived.
The chamber is 10.63 meters long, 2.85 meters wide, and 3 meters high at the centre. The rock quality is inferior; three large fissures have caused significant damage. In the past, cracks were filled with mud and fired to even the surface.
Now, let’s read another fascinating Marie Grillot report about this magnificent, gold-shining, divine amulet and its discovery.
On this golden pectoral, Amenemope is facing Osiris
Pectoral of Amenemope – gold – 21st Dynasty – around 900 BC AD from his tomb (NRT III) discovered in Tanis by Pierre Montet on April 16, 1940 Egyptian Museum in Cairo – JE 86038
This pectoral is one of only two that accompanied Pharaoh Amenemope for his eternity. A gold plate, square in shape (8.8 x 8.9 cm), is attached to a heavy gold chain with a length of 46 cm, which is relatively original because this type of pendant fits most often a rectangular shape.
Jean Yoyotte explains how the goldsmith designed it: “Two gold sheets of the same size fit together dry, adjusted on a thin filling (cement?), the whole being provided with two welded fluted bails on the edge, small rods are used to fix the chain.
The pectoral decoration resembles the architecture of a temple door, topped by a grooved cornice on which stretches—just like in temples—a representation of the winged sun. The lower part of the pendant is made up of a frieze of thirteen motifs repeated alternately: the Djed pillar is reproduced seven times, while the Tit loop appears six times.
These protective emblems are associated with Osiris and Isis, respectively.
Pectoral of Amenemope – gold – 21st Dynasty – around 900 BC – from his tomb (NRT III) discovered in Tanis by Pierre Montet on April 16, 1940 Egyptian Museum in Cairo – JE 86038
Indeed, the Djed pillar is an Osirian amulet, a symbol of stability, present in Egypt since the most ancient times, while the: “knot of Isis (Tit) is, for its part, assimilated to the blood and the magical power of ‘Isis’ (Isabelle Franco).
The central scene “picture”, evoking a funeral rite, is presented in a frame bordered by a Ramesside frieze. Suppose this scene is prevalent in funerary iconography. In that case, Christiane Ziegler nevertheless explains its originality here: “Of all the pectorals of Tanis, this is the only one to depict the pharaoh. The decor, executed in embossed on the gold leaf, depicts King Amonemope offering incense and a libation to the god of the dead, Osiris. An identical motif is chiselled on the bottom plate.
The pharaoh, wearing a nemes headdress and a front loincloth, is standing in a walking attitude. He is facing Osiris, who is seated on his throne. The god of the underworld, wearing the imposing crown Atef, is represented in his mummified appearance. He clutches the whip and the flail to his chest.
Pectoral of Amenemope – gold – 21st Dynasty – around 900 BC-AD from his tomb (NRT III) discovered in Tanis by Pierre Montet on April 16, 1940 Egyptian Museum in Cairo – JE 86038 – photo of the museum
Amenemope raises his right hand and holds a cassolette of incense in his left. “Between the two partners, a vertical legend specifies that the first is supposed to incense and libation to his father Osiris” (Jean Yoyotte).
In the worship of gods and deities, the fumigation of incense is, along with the libation of water, one of the most important rituals of the pharaonic liturgy. The high function of fumigation was to “restore life through incense supposed to be an emission from the body of Osiris”. This scene is often reproduced on the walls of temples or the walls of tombs, most often performed by a sem priest or by the pharaoh himself…”. It is also important to point out that it is reproduced on one of the walls of the tomb of Amenemope.
Incense, rare in Egypt, was mainly dedicated to worshipping divinities and the pharaoh; it could be frankincense, terebinth, myrrh, styrax, etc. But the most sought after, the most prized, was kyphi, produced by a mixture of 10 to 50 substances. It is worth remembering that “The priests offered Ré three kinds of incense daily, one at sunrise, one at midday and one at sunset.”…
Face of Pharaoh Amenemope – gold leaf (remaining upper part of his gilded wood sarcophagus) – 20th Dynasty from his tomb (NRT III) discovered in Tanis by Pierre Montet on April 16, 1940 Egyptian Museum in Cairo – JE 86059 Pierre Montet discovered a funerary mask of the pharaoh Amenemop (Amenémopé, Ménémopé, Amonemapit) in Tanis in April 1940. On May 3, 1940, in a truck protected by the army, the treasure of Amenemope took its way to the Egyptian museum there, Tahrir, where the mask will be recorded in the Journal of Entries under the reference JE 86059.
Amenemope is a pharaoh of the 21st Dynasty whose reign, which was exercised from Tanis, is located approximately around 1001-992 BC. In “The Treasures of the Egyptian Museum”, a collective work written under the direction of Francesco Tiradritti, we can read that: “successor of Psusennes I was buried in the tomb of the latter, in a room covered with granite, originally created to accommodate the remains of Moutnedjemet, wife and sister of Psusennes I”.
We can only be surprised that he was buried in a single-room vault even though he has his own burial referenced NRT IV (NRT = Royal Necropolis of Tanis).
Still, his “true” eternal home – the one in which his mummy rested – was discovered in the spring of 1940 by Pierre Montet and his team.
The Amenemopé cellar (NRT III) during its opening Drawing by E. Pons -Source: Pierre Montet, “Tanis”, Payot, 1942
In “Tanis – Twelve years of excavations in a forgotten capital of the Egyptian Delta”, the discoverer relates this very special day: “The entrance was opened on April 16. His Majesty King Farouk arrived the day before in Sân, where he had to set up a tent city, was present, as well as Mr Canon Drioton, director of the Egyptian Antiquities Service and a young Egyptian Egyptologist, Professor Abou Bekr. The vault was furnished almost like that of Psusennes: at the bottom, a granite sarcophagus; in the front half, the canopic vases, the metal vases, a large sealed jar, funerary statuettes, and a vast gilded wooden chest that had collapsed due to the effects of time and humidity. When these objects had been placed in a safe place, the sarcophagus lid was placed in their location. Much less abundant than Psusennes, the new sovereign was content with a single stone sarcophagus and an anthropoid wooden coffin covered in gold. The wood had been reduced to almost nothing, and the gold plates were removed. It is hardly necessary to say that the mummy suffered enormously. His ornaments, less numerous than those of Psousennès, nevertheless constitute a wonderful collection: a gold mask, two necklaces, two pectorals, two scarabs, hearts of lapis and chalcedony, bracelets and rings, a giant falcon in cloisonné gold with outstretched wings, and canes.
In this troubled period of the Second World War, the artefacts will be brought to safety as quickly as possible. Thus, from May 3, 1940, it was in a truck protected by the army that the Amenemope treasure would travel to the Egyptian museum in Tahrir Square…
The pectoral will be recorded in the Journal des Entries under the reference JE 86038.
Gold Pectoral of King Amenemope http://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org/record.aspx?id=15529 Tanis – Twelve years of excavations in a forgotten capital of the Egyptian Delta, Pierre Montet, 1942 Tanis the gold of the pharaohs, exhibition catalogue Paris, National Galleries of the Grand Palais, March 26 – July 20, 1987 The discovery of the Treasures of Tanis, Georges Goyon Treasures of Egypt – The wonders of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Francesco Tiradritti Tanis: treasures of the pharaohs, Henri Stierlin and Christiane Ziegler, Seuil, 1987 Pharaons – Catalog of the exhibition presented at the Institute of the Arab World in Paris from October 15, 2004, to April 10, 2005 Ancient Egypt and its gods, Jean-Pierre Corteggiani, 2007 Dictionary of Egyptian mythology, Isabelle Franco,
Well, it was getting better or brighter, and the wind calmed down. We were encouraged to dare more; there is an island or peninsula on Bodensee named Mainau, the flower island, which one can reach by boat or car. We decided on the latter because it was cheaper.
Photographed from the Zeppelin, Mainau Island, Lake Constance. (I had to take this from Wikipedia since I had no drone to send up there.😉)
The island is owned by The Lennart Bernadotte Foundation, which was established by Prince Lennart Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, a former Prince of Sweden and Duke of Småland. (If you at least have read Annemarie Selinko‘s book, Désirée, you got the point!) The island is a popular tourist destination on Lake Constance and is known for its beautiful flowers and park landscape that offers breathtaking views of the lake.
At this very moment, I had to think of Lin Gregory and her beautiful sights and pictures.
The island also has a tropical climate greenhouse, home to thousands of butterflies. However, I must admit that I feel ashamed of myself with great pity for the butterflies as I walk, among many others trying to catch a good pic! Countless butterflies were in that air-conditioned garden, watching us, wondering what we wanted; some restlessly flew here and there, and some were sitting and posing in front of the camera, cooly unperturbed!
And here are my thoughts towards the Master of Monarch: Elaine Mansfeld.
To put a video here is a challenge in life!!😜
There were also more beautiful sights to observe, but let’s make a third part?!😂🙏💖🤙🌟
I laid awake for at least three hours last night! In fact, I fell asleep initially but woke up after about two hours, and my thoughts started working. It’s not the first time I’ve been lying awake more often lately. The reason is not any concern about private life; however, there are enough issues to consider, and not limited to my birthplace, Iran and its young freedom fighters; what worries me is the future of humanity as a whole. A theory develops in my head!
These days, I’m very busy with the world’s condition. I see how humanity is on a downward spiral and think about what could be the reason, and it forced me to theorize!
I see greed and hate. I see children suffering due to the thoughtlessness and mistakes of their parents, and politics makes it worse. While I might bite my tongue, I ask myself, is it not better to die as a child than to grow up and continue fighting? How can someone believe that peace can be achieved by bombarding a folk? How is it possible to forget one’s pain of losing the mother, father, or entire family? Those who sow hatred will reap vengeance!
I observe how people chase after happiness as it slips away, and I believe that our obsession with money, possessions, and accumulating more and more has caused us to lose sight of what truly matters – enjoying life. I believe that enjoyment lies in the limitation of having! As Lao Tzu said: Have little, and you will gain. Have much, and you will be confused.
The entire statement is instructive: Bend, and you will be whole. Curl, and you will be straight. Keep empty, and you will be filled. Grow old, and you will be renewed. Have little, and you will gain. Have much, and you will be confused. “Tao Te Ching: Chapter 22” by Lao Tzu
What we often forget is that the child in us never dies! I have previously shared some information on this topic (as it is part 4). In Part 1, I provided a translated summary of “The Archetype as a Past State.” Now, I would like to share Dr. Jung’s thesis on Child Archetypes: “The Function of the Archetype”, which may help us understand and awaken in adulthood. To begin with, I will provide a brief introduction to Archetypes.
(Archetypes are not myths themselves but rather components of myths due to their typical nature. They are present in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and even psychotic fantasy products. In an individual, archetypes appear as unreal manifestations of unconscious processes. In myths, they are traditional forms of mostly inestimable age. These myths are usually tribal, transmitted from generation to generation through retelling. The primitive mind state differs from the civilized one primarily in that consciousness is much less developed in extent and intensity. The spontaneity of the act of thinking lies in the unconscious.)
Carl Jung: The Integration of The Personality, P. 285
The Function of the Archetype (On the psychology of the child archetype (1940): In the Pantheon Akademische Verlagsanstallt, Amsterdam and Leipzig 1940, under the title “The Divine Child.)
The child motif not only represents something that has been and is long past but also something present. That means it is not just a remnant but a currently functioning system intended to meaningfully compensate for or correct the inevitable one-sidedness and extravagances of consciousness. The essence of consciousness is concentration on relatively few contents, which are, if possible, increased to a level of complete clarity. Consciousness has a necessary consequence and prerequisite, the exclusion of other contents that are currently equally capable of consciousness. This exclusion inevitably causes a certain one-sidedness in the content of consciousness. Since the differentiated consciousness of civilized people is now given an effective instrument for the practical implementation of its contents in the form of the dynamics of the will, the greater the development of the will, the greater the danger of straying into one-sidedness and of digressing into lawlessness and rootlessness.
On the one hand, this is the possibility of human freedom, but on the other hand, it is also the source of endless instinctual contradictions. Primitive humans are, therefore, characterized – from the point of view of instinct, like animals – by neophobia and attachment to tradition. To our liking, it is embarrassingly backward while we praise progress. On the one hand, our progressiveness makes many of the most beautiful wish fulfillments possible. Still, on the other hand, an equally gigantic Promethean debt accumulates, which from time to time requires repayment in the form of fateful catastrophes. How long has humanity dreamed of flying, and now we have already arrived at aerial bombardments! Today, people laugh at the Christian hope for the afterlife and often fall into chiliasms, which are a hundred times more unreasonable than the idea of a joyful afterlife! Differentiated consciousness is always threatened by uprooting, which is why compensation is required through the still-existing childhood state.
However, from the standpoint of progress, compensation symptoms are formulated in unflattering terms, such as inertia, backwardness, scepticism, nagging, conservatism, timidity, pettiness, etc. But insofar as humanity has a high degree of ability to get rid of its own foundations, it can also allow itself to be carried away uncritically by dangerous one-sidedness and even catastrophe. The retarding ideal is always more primitive, more natural (in a good or bad sense) and more “moral” insofar as it adheres faithfully to the traditional law. The progressive ideal is always more abstract, unnatural, and “immoral,” which requires disloyalty to tradition. Progress forced by will is always hard and cramped. Although backwardness is close to naturalness, it is constantly threatened by an embarrassing awakening. The older view was aware that progress is only possible ‘Deo Concedente’, with which it identifies itself through the possession of opposite consciousness and repeats the ancient >rites d’entrée et de sortie< to a higher level. But the more consciousness differentiates, the greater the danger of its separation from the root state. The complete separation occurs when the ‘Deo Concedente’ is forgotten. It is now a psychological principle that a part of the soul that has been split off from consciousness is only apparently inactivated, but in reality, leads to an obsession of the personality, whereby its objective is distorted in the sense of the part of the soul that has been split off. Suppose the childlike state of the collective soul is repressed to the point of complete exclusion. In that case, the unconscious content takes control of the conscious goal, whereby its realization is inhibited, falsified or even destroyed. However, viable progress only comes about through the cooperation of both. (Archetypen, dtv.)
Children are our fellowship for the future, and our responsibility is to leave a legacy that fosters their growth and development. Thank you for reading.🙏💖🙏
I read yesterday that Mike Pinder, a founding member and keyboard player of The Moody Blues, passed away on Wednesday, April 24th, 2024, at his home in Northern California. He was 82 years old and surrounded by his devoted family at the time of his passing. It’s sad to hear that another great musician has left us. Therefore, as I had intended long ago, I thought of writing a memory and experience of Al and me with that band as it lies dearly in my heart.
During the Shah’s time, there have been political restrictions in Iran. The regime was actually afraid of free thinkers and communist ideas but allowed the rest to be free. That’s why we always had the latest music and literature in the marketplace without any problem. That’s why, as we were also searching for the truth, we pursued this topic in every art form. That’s how we got to know the Moody Blues.
They have continued their search in their LPs and always come up with binding and cohesive songs in every vinyl they have published. One must listen to the whole album to get the message. Although these memories warm my heart, I notice that my generation is dying. Of course, it is time to leave, but something will be missing somehow.
Here are the lost ones of this music band: Pinder, who was the only surviving founding member. The drummer, Graeme Edge, passed away in 2021, while the vocalist and flautist, Ray Thomas, died in 2018. The original guitarist, Denny Laine, died last year, and the original bassist, Clint Warwick, died in 2004.
“Yes! As I mentioned earlier, I believe that our generation is slowly disappearing, and I hope that the upcoming generation will be able to improve things better than the current one! Our connection with this band has been strong since we were young, and every time a group member passes away, it’s a painful loss. Now, I’d like to share my thoughts on Mike Pinder.” He created his music and shared his message with the world from a place of spiritual grounding. As he always said, ‘Keep your head above the clouds but keep your feet on the ground.’ His authentic essence uplifted everyone who came into contact with him. His lyrics, philosophy, and vision of humanity and our place in the cosmos will resonate with generations to come.
The piano keys under Mike Pinder’s fingers still resonate in my ears. RIP Melancholy Man.💖🙏
Let me also dedicate a tribute to Ray Thomas, who opened the threshold of dreams with his magical voice and the sound of his flute.
Raymond Thomas was an English musician, flautist, singer, founding member and composer of the English progressive rock band The Moody Blues. His flute solo on the band’s 1967 hit single “Nights in White Satin” is regarded as one of progressive rock’s defining moments.
Those were the days and will surely remain in our minds as a focal point in our memories.
Here is a music documentary about this unique music band. Thank you for your presence.💖🙏
Horemheb, which means “Horus is in Jubilation” in Ancient Egyptian, was the final pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, ruling for at least 14 years between 1319 BC and 1292 BC. Despite marrying Ay’s daughter Mutnedjmet, Horemheb had no blood relation to the preceding royal family and is believed to have come from a common background.
The Memphite Tomb of Horemheb is situated in the Saqqara necropolis near Memphis, Egypt. The tomb was built before Horemheb became the king, and he did not use it for his burial. Instead, he constructed the Theban tomb KV57 for this purpose. The tomb served as the resting place for Horemheb’s two wives, Mutnedjmet and Amenia.
Horemheb with a falcon-headed god, detail of a mural in the tomb of Horemheb, Ṣaqqārah, Egypt. Photos.com/Jupiterimagesvia Friend of Saqqara
Relief from Horemheb’s tomb. Receiving ‘gold of honour’ collars. Wikipedia
Here is the adventurous story of the discovery of this divine Jewel, presented by adorable Marie Grillot.🙏
Horemheb’s earring – gold and glass paste – 18th or 18th Dynasty from his tomb discovered in Saqqara in 1975 by an Anglo-Dutch mission led by Geoffrey Martin Journal of Cairo Museum Entries – JE 97864
This round earring, with a diameter of 3.9 cm, is made of gold with mostly lacunar glass paste inlays.
This round earring, with a diameter of 3.9 cm, is made of gold with mostly lacunar glass paste inlays. In its centre, in a golden circle and erected on a golden barrette, is a sphinx. He is represented in a walking attitude, which is unusual, to say the least…
The Sphinx is a “hybrid being” described as an androcephalus when it combines an animal body, a lion, and a human head. “The Egyptian sphinx was a protective and positive entity,” generally representing the “portrait” of the pharaoh to whom it was dedicated or allied.
Horemheb’s earring – gold and glass paste – 18th or 18th Dynasty from his tomb discovered in Saqqara in 1975 by an Anglo-Dutch mission led by Geoffrey Martin Journal of Cairo Museum Entries – JE 97864
The body of the Sphinx, which works in openwork, is delicately chiselled to restore the details of the fur, muscles, and legs…
The royal head is wearing the “blue” crown, which is sometimes compared to a “helmet”. This “khepresh” seems to appear in royal representations in the New Kingdom and, according to Karol Mysliewiec: “the first known royal statue wearing the khepresh is one of Amenhotep III”. If no crown of this type has actually been discovered, we can assume that it was: “probably made of leather or ostrich skin on a rigid, bulb-shaped structure often embellished with yellow gold or white polka dots “. This notion was also very well rendered by the goldsmith who created it…
Horemheb’s earring – gold and glass paste – 18th or 18th Dynasty from his tomb discovered in Saqqara in 1975 by an Anglo-Dutch mission led by Geoffrey Martin Journal of Cairo Museum Entries – JE 97864
The face is both emaciated and prognathous, an impression accentuated by the artificial beard, which lengthens the profile. The long and carried forward neck is decorated with a large ousekh necklace with several rows very cleverly rendered by incisions. This central element is surrounded by two larger and nicely crafted concentric circles. They are composed of large gold chevrons, regularly spaced, in the intervals of which blue glass paste was encrusted, perhaps in several shades. Unfortunately, this colourful decoration has, for the most part, disappeared.
The outer circle is bordered by a lovely twist of gold, which is welded into small rings made up of a series of small shots welded two by two. “The edges of the pendant are decorated with small rings obtained by granulation, some of which had originally been inlaid with tiny cylinders of glass paste. Pendants were undoubtedly suspended from the five rings of the lower register. A sheet of gold shaped like an ousekh necklace was welded to the top of the Jewel,” specifies Daniella Comand (The Illustrated Guide to the Egyptian Museum).
Horemheb’s earring – gold and glass paste – 18th or 18th Dynasty from his tomb discovered in Saqqara in 1975 by an Anglo-Dutch mission led by Geoffrey Martin Journal of Cairo Museum Entries – JE 97864 (photo Orientalia: Vol. 47)
The suspension system is incomplete: in fact, only one of the two rings remains, which were placed on either side of the lobe and in which the tube slid, which, passing through it, ensured fixation.
This unique earring was discovered in the tomb General Horemheb built in Saqqara long before he became pharaoh and ordered the digging of a new hypogeum in the Valley of the Kings.
His tomb in the Memphite necropolis, unearthed in the 19th century and then lost, was “rediscovered” in 1975 by an Anglo-Dutch mission. Led by Geoffrey Martin, he and his team devoted four seasons of excavations… During the 1977 mission, this Jewel was found “in a room in the well in the outer courtyard”.
Relief depicting Horemheb receiving the gold reward – limestone – New Kingdom – 1333-1319 BC AD from his tomb in Saqqara – Rijksmuseum van oudheden – RMO – Leiden – museum photo
The Sphinx’s countenance typically reveals Amarna features if its provenance “de facto” associates it with Horemheb. Thus, in “The Wonders of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo”, Francesco Tiradritti presents it as “a pendant representing Akhenaten as a sphinx”. An idea echoed by Nigel Fletcher-Jones who, in “Ancient Egyptian Jewelry”, believes that: “It was probably made during the reign of Akhenaten (around 1352-1336 BC) or his son Tutankhamun ( circa 1336-1327). Furthermore, in “The Great Discoveries of Ancient Egypt”, Nicholas Reeves considers that it “probably comes from a later burial, from the Ramesside period, that of Princess Bentânat”.
This earring was registered in the Journal of Entries of the Cairo Museum under the reference JE 97864.
Or the story of a summerkid in the wrong space & time!!
Bodensee by day!
This year, the school holiday began here in our town the last week of March, and as usual, my adorable wife wanted to get out of the dull and constant life. Therefore, a trip was required! We drove to Meersburg am Bodensee in South Germany for a few days. Although it is a beautiful village, it could be much more enjoyable later in Summer. One must be fortunate to have good weather at the end of March, and we weren’t!
The journey was supposed to last around seven hours, but it ended up taking nine due to three intense multiple car collisions that occurred on the way. Fortunately, we were not involved in any of them. We finally arrived at our destination feeling relieved. On the second day, we felt the gust of wind blowing around our ears, but as always, an order is an order: out to the village for a walk!
Read in my face!! I wore everything I had with me, but it was still cold!
However, Mother Nature had mercy the following days, and the weather became a bit endurable.
We met at a museum of old house structures, which showed an interesting method of building houses: pile dwellings (Pfahlbauten) on the water.
It is a world heritage site with a range of exciting Stone Age and Bronze Age artefacts. Of course, much has happened in its history, and these houses have experienced many changes. Here, I found an exciting placard of the different happening there.
It’s written down there: 1922, a time of upheaval or revolt, The Golden Age! It shows that it has not remained immune from these changes, although I don’t know what Howard Carter and his discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb are doing here!!🤔
And the guardian of the museum!
We also took a walk around and visited the pleasant environment.
Just as I suspected, the second part is needed! Many interesting things and actions remain, such as visiting the butterfly garden. So, until next time, thanks for dropping by.
Charlie Chaplin; “A tramp, a gentleman, a poet, a dreamer, a lonely fellow, always hopeful of romance and adventure.”
Why not? I stumbled upon an announcement congratulating Charlie Chaplin on his 135th birthday, and it suddenly caused me to reminisce about my admiration for him and consider writing an essay about my feelings and memories towards him.
I have been in love with this man since childhood. Not only because of his mastery in making incredible and fascinating movies but also because of his great personality, he became my great idol, especially when I began to act in the theatre. As I matured, I overcame my childish pleasures and began to understand his profound thoughts and deep-meaning messages. He imprinted in my head so much that I unconsciously imitated his posture; even his crooked walking can still be seen in my footprints! It is undoubtedly enough known that he initially refused to move to sound films in the 1930s and continued making silent movies. Of course, it was unavoidable, and he had to make his films hearable. But I am convinced he is a pantomime master and believe in his silent wisdom.
Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to meet this great man, though my love and appreciation for him have made me feel an inner connection with him and his life. I can understand his ambitions to get famous, be rich (or out of poverty), and be loved by beautiful women!
He once joked about its necessity and his favour to women, which I could relate to: “All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman, and a pretty girl!”
However, he never treated others unfairly and always tried to rectify his mistakes. After learning about his life story and reviewing his CV, I couldn’t help but wonder how he could create such masterful works while facing numerous legal battles and navigating through turbulent times. He was constantly moving back and forth between the court and the film studio. We have many similarities, and I could imitate him so perfectly that I got nicknamed Charlie the Second!
Of course, nobody is perfect, as he himself might have said it often. Everybody makes mistakes. How well Dr Jung uttered it: Mistakes are, after all, the foundations of truth, and if a man does not know what a thing is, it is at least an increase in knowledge if he knows what it is not. ~Carl Jung, CW 9ii, Para, 429
I could only admit this quote, as I happened to be born in Iran, though I would rather be a citizen of the world.
”Why haven’t you become a citizen (American)?’ said another voice. ‘I see no reason to change my nationality. I consider myself a citizen of the world,’ I answered.” – Charlie Chaplin, My Autobiography
The dialogue above comes from the press conference for Monsieur Verdoux, which occurred right after its premiere in New York. Rather than directing their questions at the film, the hostile journalists interrogated Chaplin about his political sympathies, patriotism, tax affairs and refusal to adopt American citizenship.
Chaplin also said: “I consider myself a citizen of the world, an internationalist… I just happen to have been born in London, England. It could have been Burma, China, or Timbuktu, but I’d still be the way I am. I’d keep my first citizenship because, being an accident of birth, it wouldn’t have any real significance. But wherever I live, I’ll conform to the rules, laws and regulations of that country.” – From My Father, Charlie Chaplin by Charles Chaplin Jr.
Today, April 20th is Adolf Hitler’s birthday occasionally! Therefore, I thought it was not false to put this clip.
Every single scene in his movies is extraordinary; for example, in City Lights, a peaceful Tramp tries to earn money in any way he can. I can’t still stop laughing!
He was never drawn to a luxurious lifestyle or wealth. He believed that becoming used to luxury was the saddest thing that could happen to a person. One day, his daughter Geraldine asked him for money to purchase a golden necklace. He agreed to send her the money but also included a letter with a message: “My lovely daughter, I have sent you the money as requested, but please remember that the biggest and most beautiful jewel in the world is the sun that hangs on everyone’s neck!”
Chaplin’s views on the future of mankind at his 70th birthday, April 16, 1959:
I feel I am privileged to express a hope. The hope is this: that we shall have peace throughout the world, that we shall abolish wars and settle all international differences at the conference table, and that we shall abolish all atom and hydrogen bombs before they abolish us. The future of the modern world demands modern thinking. Therefore, let us use the full force of our intelligence instead of obsolete homicidal methods to settle our international differences. (source RTS archives: “Interview et message de Charlie Chaplin à l’occasion de son 70ème anniversaire”)
And Chaplin’s Modern Times ‘nonsense song’
Charlie Chaplin’s lyrics to “Swing Little Girl” (the song at the beginning of The Circus, which Chaplin himself sang for the film’s 1969 rerelease).
He is an unforgettable personality from whom we can learn a lot. I appreciate your presence.🙏💖💥
Francisco de Holanda – De aetatibus mundi imagines – 1545
I won’t bore you with a lengthy account of my personal life. Still, I will mention that my wife and I had to take care of our cute grandchildren all week due to the lack of support from the German government for kindergarten care and education (the two issues are assumed to be unimportant!). We are also facing a death (redemption!) in the family, which I will write about later.
Amidst all the chaos, I found solace in reading my “holy book”, The Red Book, by Dr. Jung, attempting to nourish my soul. I hope you can find some comfort in reading it, too.🙏
[H I ii(r) 2] Cap. ii (P. 130, 131, 132; Liber Primus, A Reader’s Edition)
On the second night, I called out to my soul (Nov. 14, 1913):
I am weary, my soul, my wondering has lasted too long, my search for myself outside myself. Now, I have gone through events and found you behind them, for I made discoveries on my erring through events, humanity, and the world. I found men. And you, my soul, I found again, first in images within men and then you yourself. I found you where I least expected you. You climbed out of a dark shaft. You announced yourself to me in advance in dreams (which were dark to me and which I sought to grasp in my own inadequate way). They burned in my heart, drove me to all the boldest acts of daring, and forced me to rise above myself. You let me see truths of which I had no previous inkling. You let me undertake journeys whose endless length would have scared me if the knowledge of them had not been secure in you.
I wandered for many years, so long that I forgot that I possessed a soul (I belonged to men and things. I did not belong to myself {Black Book 2}). Where were you all this time? Which Beyond sheltered you and gave you sanctuary? Oh, you must speak through me, that my speech and I are your symbol and expression! How should I decipher you?
Who are you, child? My dreams have represented you as a child and as a maiden (and I found you again only through the soul of the woman {Black Book 2}). I am ignorant of your mystery (Look! I bear a wound that is as yet not healed: my ambition to make an impression {Black Book 2}). Forgive me if I speak as in a dream, like a drunkard – are you God? Is God a child, a maiden? (I must tell myself most clearly: does He use the image of a child that lives in everyman’s soul? Were Horus, Tags, and Christ not children? Dionysus and Heracles were also divine children. Did Christ, the God of man, not called himself the son of man? What was his innermost thought when doing so? Should the daughter of man be God’s name {Black Book 2})? Forgive me if I bobble. No one else hears me. I speak to you quietly, and you know that I am neither a drunkard nor someone deranged, and my heart twists in pain from the wound, whose darkness delivers speeches full of mockery: “You are lying to yourself! You spoke so as to deceive others and make them believe in you. You want to be a prophet and chase after your ambition.” The wound still bleeds, and I am far from being able to pretend that I do not hear the mockery.
How strange it sounds to me to call you a child, you who still hold the all-without-end in your hand (how thick the earlier darkness was! How impetuous and egoistic my passion was, subjugated by all the diamonds of ambition, the desire for glory, greed, uncharitableness, and zeal! How ignorant I was at the time! Life tore me away, and I deliberately moved away from you, and I have done so far all these years. I recognise how good all of this was, but I thought you were lost, even though I sometimes thought I was lost. But you were not lost. I went on the way of the day. You went invisibly with me and guided me step by step, putting the pieces together meaningfully {Black Book 2}) and letting me see the whole in each part.
You took away where I thought to take hold and gave me where I did not expect anything. Time and again, you brought about fate from new and unexpected quarters. Where I sowed, you robbed me of the harvest, and where I did not sow, you gave it to me again where I would never have foreseen it. You upheld my belief when I was alone and near despair. At every decisive moment, you let me believe in myself.
I appreciate your being here. Have a lovely weekend.🙏💖🤗🌹🦋
This is a deep blue glazed faience kohl tube. A column is inlaid with light blue on one side of the cylinder. This inscription is placed within a light blue frame. It reads, “The Good God, Lord of the Two Lands, Neb ma’at-re (Amenhotep III). The Kingdom, Wife Tiy, granted life.” A shallow indentation forms a border at the bottom of the tube. Condition: Small cracks at the bottom; blue glaze missing on half of the “neb” sign.
Here is another fascinating story by the brilliant lady Marie Grillot of a deity tube to help compare to divine beauty.
A kohol tube in the names of Amenhotep III and his daughter and wife Satamon…
Kohl tube of Satamon, daughter and the great royal wife of Amenhotep III – earthenware – 18th dynasty formerly in the collection of Reverend William MacGregor – acquired by Lord Carnarvon at Sotheby’s London in 1922 arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1926 by acquisition from the Carnarvon Collection – entry number 26.7.910
This delicate and elegant Egyptian earthenware kohol tube is 14.4 cm high and has a diameter of 1.8 cm. For Jeanne Vandier d’Abbadie (“Egyptian toilet objects at the Louvre Museum”), it was during the New Kingdom that kohol vases or pots which had varied shapes “were very often replaced by kohol tubes. This new form would have been introduced into Egypt under the reign of Tuthmosis III by the Asians. Indeed, it sometimes happens, from this time on, that the servants who assist the lady in her toilet have the Syrian type… These young foreigners hand their mistress the kohol tube into which the stylus is immersed…”
Originally, this tube was a simple Nile reed – hence sometimes its name “flute” -in the hollow of which the makeup was placed. For the wealthier classes of society, artisans were inspired by this natural element. They reproduced it more “luxurious” with more precious materials, ivory, for example, or, in this case, earthenware.
Kohl tube of Satamon, daughter and the great royal wife of Amenhotep III – earthenware – 18th dynasty formerly in the collection of Reverend William MacGregor – acquired by Lord Carnarvon at Sotheby’s London in 1922 arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1926 by acquisition from the Carnarvon Collection – entry number 26.7.910
In ancient times, kohol was the makeup product par excellence; it was inseparable from the concept of beauty, intimately linked to the enhancement of the gaze. Its use has thus transcended these stretched eyes surrounded by black, which, even today, disturbs and fascinates. Made from powdered galena, it not only highlighted the intensity of the “Egyptian” gaze but also had, in this country where the light is so bright, the reverberation so intense, and the sun so burning, a protective function of the eye.
It was applied using a fine stylus – or stick. With a rounded head and a blunt tip, it could be made of hematite, wood (like ebony), ivory, and sometimes bronze or copper. No stylus is presented with this tube; one can imagine it has disappeared. Likewise, nothing indicates the presence or absence of a small “accommodation” fitted inside to store it. The sealing is also absent: in the more “rustic” models, it was done by a plug of fabric or wood.
Kohl tube of Satamon, daughter and the great royal wife of Amenhotep III – earthenware – 18th dynasty formerly in the collection of Reverend William MacGregor – acquired by Lord Carnarvon at Sotheby’s London in 1922 arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1926 by acquisition from the Carnarvon Collection – entry number 26.7.910
In “Amenhotep III, the Sun Pharaoh”, Arielle P. Kozloff provides technical information on its creation: “The colour of the tube is medium blue, which suggests a copper base. This colour was used more frequently towards the end of the reign of Amenhotep III and during the Amarna period, unlike the cobalt-based blues that the king preferred. The dark-coloured inscription is undoubtedly cobalt-based.”
If the object is well made, the vertical inscription presented in a rectangle delimited by a black line in a column of delicate hieroglyphs is precious. Christiane Ziegler (“Queens of Egypt”) translates it thus: “The good god Nebmaâtre [Amenhotep III]; the king’s daughter, the Great Royal Wife Satamon, may she live.” She adds, “We noticed that the king’s name always accompanies that of the woman in his family mentioned on the kohol tubes.”
When we mention the wife of Amenhotep III, we immediately think of Queen Tiyi… Satamon (“The Daughter of Amon”) was the eldest daughter of Tiyi and Amenhotep III. However, explains Christian Leblanc in “Queens of the Nile”: “She distinguished herself especially towards the end of the reign of Amenhotep III by herself becoming the wife of her own father”.
Due to our current morality and contemporary conception of the family, understanding and admitting such a union is often tricky. However, well attested since at least the Middle Kingdom, this incest could only exist in the royal and divine world for reasons of an eminently sacred nature. Ordinary mortals did not practise it.
Relief depicting Satamon from the funerary temple of Amenhotep III Petrie Museum, London – UC 14373 – museum photo
“The role of princesses was so important that two of them, Satamon and Isis, became ‘Great Royal Wives’ during the last decade of the reign, which in no way diminishes the status of Queen Tiya. Indeed, the “Theological model of divine families on which that of the king’s family was modelled favoured the adoption of different generations of women. Was Hathor not simultaneously mother, wife and daughter of the god Ra?” (Arielle P. Kozloff). Thus, different museums hold kohol tubes, identical or close to that of Satamon, with the names of Tiyi, of course, and Isis.
Its current history is found in the 20th century in the collection of Reverend William MacGregor (1848-1937). This vicar is a “prominent member of the Egypt Exploration Society and the Institute of Archeology of the University of Liverpool. He patronised numerous excavations, notably those undertaken by Naville, Garstang, and Petrie, for which he frequently and actively participated in the field. His remarkable collection of antiquities is unprecedented compared to any other private collection in England, Europe or America” was then specified in the introduction to the sales catalogue when he decided to separate it. One thousand eight hundred objects will be auctioned at Sotheby’s London from June 26 to July 6, 1922.
Reverend William MacGregor, vicar, prominent member of the Egypt Exploration Society, Institute of Archeology, University of Liverpool and patron of many excavations (Liverpool, 16-5-1848 – Tamworth, 26-2-1937)
Satamon’s kohol tube, presented under lot 255, will be acquired by another great collector, Lord Carnarvon. The same year, it was among the artefacts lent by the British aristocrat for the “Exhibition of Ancient Egyptian Art” at the Burlington Fine Arts Club in London. Percy Newberry, responsible for writing the catalogue, describes it as follows under number 17: “Kohol tube – blue glazed earthenware -, with a vertical line of hieroglyphs in black, giving the names of Amenhotep III and the great royal wife, Sat-amon'”.
Lord Carnarvon died in Cairo on April 5, 1923, shortly after the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. According to a codicil to his will, intended for his wife, Lady Almina, he had expressed his suggestions on the future of his collection in case she had to part with it, which she did, putting Howard Carter in charge of the negotiations.
Lord Carnarvon – George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon (Highclere – RU – 26-6-1866 – Continental-Savoy Hotel, Cairo, Egypt – 5-4-1923) and his wife, Lady Almina
Thanks to the generosity of Edward S. Harkness, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York acquired it in 1926 for $145,000.
This is how this kohol tube bearing the names of Amenhotep III and Satamon arrived in the great New York Museum collections: it was registered under entry number 26.7.910.
Kohl Tube Inscribed for Amenhotep III and Princess Sitamun https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544512 Catalogue of the MacGregor collection of Egyptian antiquities, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, auction catalogue, sale dates: 26-30 June and 3-6 July 1922, London, 1922 https://www.abebooks.fr/edition-originale/Catalogue-MacGregor-collection-Egyptian-antiquities-Sotheby/31411328486/bd Percy Edward Newberry, Harry Reginald Hall, Catalogue of an Exhibition of Ancient Egyptian Art, London: Burlington Fine Arts Club, p. 34 no. 17, 1922 https://archive.org/details/catalogueofexhib00burlrich Rev William MacGregor https://www.tamworthheritagetrust.co.uk/articles/rev-william-macgregor Jeanne Vandier d’Abbadie, Egyptian toilet objects at the Louvre Museum, editions of the national museums, Paris, 1972 William C. Hayes, Scepter of Egypt II: A Background for the Study of the Egyptian Antiquities in the Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Hyksos Period and the New Kingdom (1675-1080 B.C.), Cambridge, Mass., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 257, fig. 155, 1959 Christian Leblanc, Nefertari, “L’aimee-de-Mout”, Editions du Rocher, 1999 (pp. 185-186 on incest practised in the royal sphere) Amenhotep III, the sun pharaoh, Meeting of National Museums, 1993 Christiane Ziegler, Queens of Egypt, Somogy éditions d’art, Grimaldi Forum, 2008 Christian Leblanc, Queens of the Nile, The Library of the Introuvables, 2009 Morris L. Bierbrier, Who Was Who in Egyptology, London, Egypt Exploration Society, 2012 Pierre Tallet, 12 queens of Egypt who changed history, Pygmalion, 2013
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