Cylinder Seal of the Divine Adoratress

This monumental cylinder seal is far larger than the practical seals used in Egypt and the Near East, which were typically only a few centimetres in length. Its great size and weight reveal that it was not intended for daily use, but rather served as a ceremonial or symbolic object. The seal is made of steatite, glazed using Egyptian techniques, and measures 25.5 centimetres in length with a maximum diameter of 5.8 centimetres, weighing an impressive 1.748 kilograms.

Inscribed in three registers of hieroglyphs, the seal records cartouches and titles of a Divine Adoratress, probably Amenirdis I or Amenirdis II, royal princesses of the Kushite Dynasty who held the powerful office of God’s Wife of Amun at Thebes.

Comparable oversized seals are preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre, and the Cairo Museum, all associated with the God’s Wives of Amun of the 25th and 26th Dynasties. These remarkable objects, sometimes displayed in temple treasuries or used in ritual settings, proclaimed the religious and political authority of women who effectively ruled Thebes during this period.

Though now not on display, the seal has been exhibited internationally, including Reines de l’Égypte at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco (July–September 2008), and more recently at the Pharaoh exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (June–October 2024). The object is in good condition, despite the worn glaze.

The seal was acquired by the British Museum in 1897, purchased through the Reverend Chauncey Murch from the Luxor dealer Mohammed Mohassib. It now belongs to the Department of Egypt and Sudan, registered under the museum number EA29212.

Cylinder Seals of Egypt and the Ancient Near East

In their earliest use (from Mesopotamia and later adopted in Egypt), cylinder seals were rolled across damp clay to leave a continuous impression of their carved designs. They served as signatures, marks of ownership, and devices of authentication. Officials, merchants, and scribes would use them to seal jars, boxes, papyrus rolls, or mud stoppers on doors and containers. The repeated design acted like an official stamp of authority, ensuring that whatever it sealed could not be opened without breaking the impression.

While small cylinder seals were common in the Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period, by the Late Period (such as the 25th Dynasty), larger inscribed seals like this one had taken on a more prestigious role. They were less about daily use and more about royal or temple display. The sheer size of this example (over 25 cm long and weighing nearly 2 kg) would have made it impractical for rolling on clay in the normal way. Instead, it likely functioned as a ritual or dedicatory object, perhaps to symbolise the sealing of a divine covenant or the authority of the “Divine Adoratress” over the temple estates of Amun.

Given that the seal names Amenirdis I or II, both women who held the powerful office of God’s Wife of Amun at Thebes, it may have been intended to “seal” offerings or temple property symbolically, representing their control and sanctity. It may even have been placed within a temple treasury as a monumental statement of their divine and political authority, rather than being used in a practical administrative sense.

Divine Adoratresses of Amun

The office of “Divine Adoratress” (Duʿat Netjer in Egyptian) developed from earlier titles borne by high-ranking women in the cult of Amun at Thebes. By the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 B.C.), queens could hold the title “God’s Wife of Amun”, which elevated them to a prominent ritual role. Over time, this religious office gained increasing prestige and authority.

By the Third Intermediate Period and especially under the 25th Dynasty (c. 747–656 B.C.), the role of Divine Adoratress became politically crucial. The title was bestowed on royal women (often daughters or sisters of kings) who were installed in Thebes to control the immensely wealthy estates of the temple of Amun.

The Divine Adoratress was more than a priestess. She was a celibate royal woman who effectively acted as ruler of Thebes in the king’s name, wielding both religious and economic influence. She performed rituals in the temple of Amun, received offerings, and was celebrated in inscriptions almost like a queen in her own right. Importantly, she commanded the vast estates and wealth of Amun, making her a key figure in the political landscape of Upper Egypt.

Because the role was passed not through marriage but by adoption, each Adoratress would formally adopt her successor, who usually was another royal princess chosen by the reigning pharaoh. This ensured continuity and loyalty between dynasties.

Summary:

Cylinder Seal of the Divine Adoratress (Steatite with traces of blue-green glaze)

Third Intermediate Period, 25th Dynasty, c. 8th–7th century B.C.

British Museum, EA29212