Nefertem

Statue of God Nefertem

Statue of God Nefertem

This may have been a statue from a temple of Nefertem. Large silver statues are very rare in ancient Egypt. The god of perfume, Nefertem, was also a god of healing who was said to have eased the suffering of the aging sun god Re with a bouquet of sacred lotus. Nefertem therefore not only...

Gold Amulet of the God Nefertem

Gold Amulet of the God Nefertem

Gold amulet in the form of Nefertem or Nefertum, he is often defined as the god of perfumes but this association is secondary. He was, in fact, first and foremost, the young god of the lotus bud that emerged from the primordial waters, according to the Egyptian myth, and from which the sun was born....

Head of Tutankhamun emerging from a lotus flower

Tutankhamun Head of Nefertem

This head was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922, at the very threshold of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Fashioned from wood and standing at a modest 30 centimetres in height, it bears a fragile stucco coating, once painted a vivid red but now sadly scarred by age and circumstance. There is...

Amulet of the god Nefertem

Faience Amulet of the god Nefertem

Molded faience amulet in the form of Nefertem or Nefertum, he is often defined as the god of perfumes but this association is secondary. Nefertem was, in fact, first and foremost, the young god of the lotus bud that emerged from the primordial waters, according to the Egyptian myth, and from which the sun was...

The Making of Lotus Perfume

On this finely carved slab, five elegant women attend to a fragrant art: the pressing of lotus blossoms. Three clasp the long-stemmed flowers in hand, while two twist bulging sacks filled with petals, coaxing forth the nectar which drips into the vessel below. At first glance it is an image of industry, yet beneath lies...