Reproduction patinated by hand on a black wooden base. Mold made from an imprint of the original work.
Judging by the figured scenes, it is a small, graceful seated person, wearing an ostrich feather on her head, who is writing her name. But it is also the correct weight for the scales used on judgement ...
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Reproduction patinated by hand on a black wooden base. Mold made from an imprint of the original work.
Judging by the figured scenes, it is a small, graceful seated person, wearing an ostrich feather on her head, who is writing her name. But it is also the correct weight for the scales used on judgement day to weigh the heart of the deceased and to see whether he is maaty, that is to say, in conformity with Maat. According to ancient Egyptian texts, she is the daughter of Re, and she is offered to the gods by the kings who carry her in the palm of the hand like a small doll, as portrayed on most scenes at the bottom of funerary chapels.
Maat is the offering par excellence, the one who can replace all the others because she virtually includes them in herself. For these different reasons, Maat is usually considered to be the incarnation of Truth and Justice. This view is far from being farfetched for it can be justified by numerous proofs. During judgement, the heart of the deceased is compared to Truth ; the vizir, or supreme head of the tribunals of Egypt, is the "priest of Maat" ; "talking according to Maat" is the opposite of "telling lies".
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