Egyptian Hand-Painted Papyrus Artwork (Imported): Akhenaton & Nefertari Offering

This painting is based on the limestone relief found in the Royal Tomb at Amarna, which depicts Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and one of their daughters making an offering to the sun-disk Aten. There are flowers laid on the table beneath the "life-giving" rays of the Aten. To emphasize the strength and power of the Pharaoh, Egyptian iconographical tradition required the female figure to be smaller in scale than the male. Also known as the Eye of Horus or The Udjat Eye, this eye is a symbol of the god Horus as both the son of Osiris and Isis and as the sun-god. Egyptian myths state that Horus lost his left eye in his war with Seth to avenge the death of his father. Seth tore the eye into pieces. The left eye, being the moon was discovered by Thoth (the god of wisdom and magic) lying in pieces, but he was able to reassemble them into the full moon. It is one of the most powerful and common of the talismans in Egypt. This amulet had the power to see everything, give physical prosperity and universal fertility. It was also believed that the eye was a protection from "evil eye" and the powerful fire spitting cobra was also a symbol of protection from enemies.