Stela of Queen Tetisheri
Encyclopedia
The Stela of Tetisheri is a limestone
donation stele
erected by Ahmose I
in the construction of his mortuary complex that included a cenotaph
to his grandmother Queen Tetisheri
.
The stele was excavated in Ahmose's cult center at Abydos
, found in 1902, in two pieces. A twin scene in the upper lunette
shows Ahmose presenting offering tables to seated Tetisheri. Both the left and right scenes have variations of the offering tables, Tetisheri's arm poses, as well as Ahmose's.
The multicolumned text in the lunette is the same for both left and right. The Cairo Museum guidebook presents the two cartouches, and one serekh of Ahmose I and a black-and-white photo of the stele. Ahmose's name is translated as:
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
donation stele
Stele
A stele , also stela , is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief , or painted onto the slab...
erected by Ahmose I
Ahmose I
Ahmose I was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Eighteenth dynasty. He was a member of the Theban royal house, the son of pharaoh Tao II Seqenenre and brother of the last pharaoh of the Seventeenth dynasty, King Kamose...
in the construction of his mortuary complex that included a cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
to his grandmother Queen Tetisheri
Tetisheri
Tetisheri was the matriarch of the Egyptian royal family of the late 17th Dynasty and early 18th Dynasty.-Family:Tetisheri was the daughter of Tjenna and Neferu. The names of Tetisheri's parents are known from mummy bandages found in TT320....
.
The stele was excavated in Ahmose's cult center at Abydos
Abydos, Egypt
Abydos is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, and also of the eight Upper Nome, of which it was the capital city. It is located about 11 kilometres west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of el-'Araba el Madfuna and al-Balyana...
, found in 1902, in two pieces. A twin scene in the upper lunette
Lunette (stele)
The lunette spatial region in the upper portion of stelas, became common for steles as a prelude to a stele's topic. Its major use was from ancient Egypt in all the various categories of steles: funerary, Victory Steles, autobiographical, temple, votive, etc.The lunettes are most common from...
shows Ahmose presenting offering tables to seated Tetisheri. Both the left and right scenes have variations of the offering tables, Tetisheri's arm poses, as well as Ahmose's.
The multicolumned text in the lunette is the same for both left and right. The Cairo Museum guidebook presents the two cartouches, and one serekh of Ahmose I and a black-and-white photo of the stele. Ahmose's name is translated as:
- "Born (of the) moon,-(Moon-Born)
LordBasket (hieroglyph)-List of epithet uses:-Pharaonic uses:The pharaoh is often shown in reliefs or in cartouche-related statements as Lord of the Two Lands. The basket hieroglyph is used as 'lord', or 'king'. Queens, or goddesses use the 'lordess' form, the feminine implied from the "t" hieroglyph but not needed for...
of the strengthLeopard head (hieroglyph)The ancient Egyptian Leopard head hieroglyph, Gardiner sign listed no. F9 is a portrayal of the head of a leopard; it is in the Gardiner subset for "parts of mammals"....
of RaSun (hieroglyph)The Ancient Egyptian Sun hieroglyph is Gardiner sign listed no. N5 for the sun-disc; it is also one of the hieroglyphs that refers to the god Ra.-Luwian hieroglyhs, Sa-sub4:...
,
Horus, victorious bull in Thebes."
("Aah.ms, NebBasket (hieroglyph)-List of epithet uses:-Pharaonic uses:The pharaoh is often shown in reliefs or in cartouche-related statements as Lord of the Two Lands. The basket hieroglyph is used as 'lord', or 'king'. Queens, or goddesses use the 'lordess' form, the feminine implied from the "t" hieroglyph but not needed for...
.pehtyLeopard head (hieroglyph)The ancient Egyptian Leopard head hieroglyph, Gardiner sign listed no. F9 is a portrayal of the head of a leopard; it is in the Gardiner subset for "parts of mammals"....
.raSun (hieroglyph)The Ancient Egyptian Sun hieroglyph is Gardiner sign listed no. N5 for the sun-disc; it is also one of the hieroglyphs that refers to the god Ra.-Luwian hieroglyhs, Sa-sub4:...
, Hr.ka.nht.m.wast")
("Aah.ms-s, NebBasket (hieroglyph)-List of epithet uses:-Pharaonic uses:The pharaoh is often shown in reliefs or in cartouche-related statements as Lord of the Two Lands. The basket hieroglyph is used as 'lord', or 'king'. Queens, or goddesses use the 'lordess' form, the feminine implied from the "t" hieroglyph but not needed for...
.peht-tBread bun (hieroglyph)The Ancient Egyptian Bread bun hieroglyph is Gardiner sign listed no. X1 for the side view of a bread bun. It is also the simple shape of a semicircle....
.ra, Hr.ka.nht.m.wast")
'Moon-Born(Aah-Mes-S), Lord Ra's (greatest) Strength(superlative), "Horus-Mightiest OfOwl (hieroglyph)The Ancient Egyptian Owl hieroglyph is Gardiner sign listed no. G17 for the owl-in-profile, but the head faces the observer.The owl hieroglyph is used in the Ancient Egyptian language hieroglyphs for the alphabetic consonant letter m....
Wast' -(=Uast)