Αρχαία Αίγυπτος, Νέο Βασίλειο Faience Σκαραβαίος της Nefertari Ahmose, Από Μουσείο

ITEM: Scarab of Nefertari Ahmose
MATERIAL: Faience
CULTURE: Αιγυπτιακή
PERIOD: Νέο Βασίλειο, 1550 - 1525 π.Χ.
DIMENSIONS: 14 mm x 10 mm
CONDITION: Καλή κατάσταση
PROVENANCE: Από τη Συλλογή Εκθεμάτων του Arbeitsgruppe für Biblische Archäologie, Γερμανία (Deaccession)
PARALLEL: Metropolitan Museum, Αριθμός πρόσβασης 30.8.470

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Nefertari Ahmose was a prominent and influential queen of ancient Egypt during the early 18th Dynasty, around the 16th century BCE. She held the prestigious title of "Great Royal Wife" to Pharaoh Ahmose I, the founder of the New Kingdom and the ruler credited with expelling the Hyksos invaders from Egypt. Nefertari's name, which means “Beautiful Companion,” was often accompanied by the epithet “Ahmose,” suggesting her own royal lineage, possibly as a daughter of Seqenenre Tao and sister or half-sister to Ahmose I. This close blood tie to the royal family would have strengthened her status and solidified the legitimacy of the new dynasty.

As queen, Nefertari played a significant role in the religious and political life of the court. Inscriptions and monuments credit her with titles such as "King’s Great Wife," "Mistress of the Two Lands," and "United with the White Crown," underscoring her ceremonial and perhaps even administrative authority. She is often depicted in art and statuary with divine attributes, indicating a connection with goddesses such as Hathor and Isis, which was a common means of reinforcing a queen's sacred role in upholding ma'at, the divine order. Her presence in temple reliefs and offerings scenes also shows her active participation in state-sponsored religious practices, reflecting the elevated role of royal women during this period.

Nefertari’s memory endured beyond her lifetime, and her legacy is sometimes confused with that of later queens of the same name, such as Nefertari, wife of Ramesses II. However, Nefertari Ahmose remains distinct as a foundational figure in the establishment of the New Kingdom. Her burial site, though not definitively identified, may have been located at Thebes, where other royals of the early 18th Dynasty were interred. Her prominence in the early New Kingdom helped set a precedent for the powerful roles that queens would increasingly hold in Egypt’s imperial age.