The Egyptian hieroglyph representing gold (? Gardiner S12), phonetic value nb, is important due to its use in the Horus-of-Gold name, one of the Fivefold Titulary names of the Egyptian pharaoh.
In its determinative usage, it identifies any precious metal, and as an ideogram in "gold" specifically (Egyptian nbw, whence Coptic ???? n?b).
The hieroglyph represents a large gold and pearl necklace. Old Kingdom scenes show dwarfs metalworking the gold, and "stringing the pearls of gold".
Video Gold (hieroglyph)
Variant forms
Three variants of the gold hieroglyph are ligatured with another hieroglyph:
Maps Gold (hieroglyph)
Usage
Horus-of-Gold name
The meaning of this particular title has been disputed. One belief is that it represents the triumph of Horus over his uncle Seth, as the symbol for gold can be taken to mean that Horus was "superior to his foes". Gold also was strongly associated in the ancient Egyptian mind with eternity, so this may have been intended to convey the pharaoh's eternal Horus name.
The combination of the Horus falcon and the gold hieroglyph is frequently found on Ancient Egyptian pectorals (see image).
Gold
In the Old Egyptian Palermo Stone inscription (late 24th or early 23rd century BC), the hieroglyph is used in the phrases "first counting of gold" and "collar of gold".
Late Period coinage
One of the few coins minted for ancient Egypt is the gold stater, issued during the 30th Dynasty. The reverse of the gold stater shows a horse reared up on its hind legs. The obverse has the two hieroglyphs for nfr and nb: "Perfect gold", or a common-era term: 'Fine'-gold, ("Beautiful Gold"). The reverse, horse iconography is referenced because of the "beauty", and uniqueness of the horse species.
See also
- Fivefold Titulary
- Gardiner's Sign List#S. Crowns, Dress, Staves, etc
References
- Betrò, Maria Carmela. Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt, c. 1995, 1996-(English), Abbeville Press Publishers, New York, London, Paris (hardcover, ISBN 0-7892-0232-8)
- Budge, The Rosetta Stone, E.A.Wallace Budge, (Dover Publications), c 1929, Dover edition(unabridged), 1989. (softcover, ISBN 0-486-26163-8)
- Schumann-Antelme, and Rossini, 1998. Illustrated Hieroglyphics Handbook, Ruth Schumann-Antelme, and Stéphane Rossini. c 1998, English trans. 2002, Sterling Publishing Co. (Index, Summary lists (tables), selected uniliterals, biliterals, and triliterals.) (softcover, ISBN 1-4027-0025-3)
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