Libyan Palette

The Libyan Palette (also known variously as the Libyan Booty Palette, the Siege Palette, the Tehenu- or Tjehenu Palette, the Towns- or Trees and Towns Palette') is the surviving lower portion of a stone cosmetic palette bearing carved decoration and writing. It dates from the Naqada III or Protodynastic Period of Egypt (circa 3,200 to 3,000 BC). The palette is unprovenanced, but is believed to be from Abydos, Egypt. [Francesco Rafaelle, " [http://xoomer.alice.it/francescoraf/hesyra/palettes/tehenu.htm Tehenu Palette] ", from web article "Corpus of Egyptian Late Predynastic Palettes", accessed 8 June 2007.]

The Libyan Palette, like the famous Narmer Palette, is one of the few stone palettes from this period which contain some of the earliest examples of hieroglyphs and also show the early use of registers (lined separators) for displaying and separating distinct subject matter.

The iconography of the palette is as follows: one side of the palette contains scenes of walking animals, in three registers, above plants. The three lines of walking animals are cattle, donkeys, and gazelles. The opposite side of the Libyan Palette contains seven 'cities' identified by their hieroglyphs, shown within each city wall. Above each city is depicted an animal holding the "mr" hand-plough U6. While this hieroglyph can be translated as "beloved" (suggesting the animals are depictions of the symbol of each town) [Maria Carmela Betrò, "Hieroglyphics, The Writings of Ancient Egypt", (New York, N.Y., Abbeville Press, 1996). ISBN 0-78920-232-8).] , others have proposed that in this context a translation of "attacking" or "destroying" is applicable, [Franceso Raffaele, " [http://xoomer.alice.it/francescoraf/hesyra/ninetjer.htm Horus Ninetjer] ", (web article, accessed 8 June 2007).] [Toby Wilkinson, "Early Dynastic Egypt: Strategies, Society and Security", (Routledge, 2001). ISBN 0-41526-011-6 and ISBN 978-0415260114.] and thus the animals are associated with the attackers, not with the cities.

Animals remain to be seen by the walls of only four of the cities on the damaged palette:
#a hawk (Horus);
#a pair of hawks, each surmounted on a standard (the Upper Egyptian nome of "Herui", modern capital Qift);
#a scorpion; and
#a lion.

The iconography of walking lines of animals within registers can also be seen on the ivory handle of the Gebel el-Arak Knife.

The palette is made of schist, is 18.5cm long (originally estimated to have been around 70cm) and 21cm wide. [Francesco Rafaelle, " [http://xoomer.alice.it/francescoraf/hesyra/palettes/tehenu.htm Tehenu Palette] ", from web article "Corpus of Egyptian Late Predynastic Palettes", accessed 8 June 2007.] Housed in Room 43 on the ground floor of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, [Egyptain Museum Official website, [http://www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg/details.asp?which2=660 Libyan Palette article] , accessed 8 June 2007.] its Journal d'Entrée number is JE27434 [Egyptain Museum Official website, [http://www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg/details.asp?which2=660 Libyan Palette article] , accessed 8 June 2007.] and its Catalogue Général number is CG14238. [Francesco Rafaelle, " [http://xoomer.alice.it/francescoraf/hesyra/palettes/tehenu.htm Tehenu Palette] ", from web article "Corpus of Egyptian Late Predynastic Palettes", accessed 8 June 2007.]

References

ee also

*Narmer Palette
*Cosmetic palette
*Gebel el-Arak Knife

External links

* [http://www.eternalegypt.org/EternalEgyptWebsiteWeb/HomeServlet?ee_website_action_key=action.display.element&story_id=&module_id=&language_id=1&element_id=60586 The Libyan Palette] (inlcudes zoomable multimedia images of the palette's front and back, in a pop-up window).
* [http://www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg/details.asp?which2=660 Back view of the palette] (official website of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo)
* [http://xoomer.alice.it/francescoraf/hesyra/palettes/tehenu.htm Large front & back view] (includes a bibliography of Egyptological papers which refer to the palette)
* [http://www.redmoonrising.com/Giza/Arakknife.jpgPhoto] ; [http://www.redmoonrising.com/Giza/EgyptsOrigins4.htm Article] the "Arak Knife"